Myrtleford raid targets Dezi Freeman case; detainee denies links

Authorities stormed a home in Myrtleford, a border alpine town in Victoria, as part of the ongoing hunt for Dezi Freeman, a fugitive accused in the fatal ambush of two police officers. The occupant of the Standish Street property, motorbike mechanic and restorer Chris Stanimirovich, was briefly detained by heavily armed officers before being released without charge, according to his account and local reports.

Stanimirovich, who uses the online handle 666Lucifer95, told the Daily Mail that he has never met Freeman and denies any link to the case. He said officers had been watching him for weeks and suggested the raid was designed to tie him to Freeman. He described the situation as something he believes authorities wanted to create to justify their presence. He has never been in the same room as Freeman and has never messaged or met him, and said the whole sequence of events is beyond wild.

Stanimirovich said he has never met Freeman and described feeling singled out by the investigation. He argued that the operation raised questions and suggested a changing narrative, calling for more clarity about why the raid occurred and whom it was meant to target. He noted that he has been under scrutiny for weeks and lamented the sense that someone was attempting to frame him for a connection to the fugitive.

Freeman, 56, has been on the run since August 26, when ten officers arrived at his Porepunkah home to serve a warrant for an alleged historic sexual assault on a minor. In the 27 minutes leading up to the deadly confrontation, Freeman is seen in footage invoking his faith and opposing the entry by police, a moment that has become a focal point for investigators and residents alike. The confrontation culminated in an exchange of gunfire that left one detective wounded and Freeman fled into the alpine bush with his family continuing to shelter elsewhere.

Freeman's case has prompted a broad police operation, including the deployment of hundreds of officers into the area. Authorities have offered a $1 million reward for information and have received more than 1,000 tips, though there has yet to be a verified sighting of the fugitive since the fatal ambush. The ongoing search has disrupted life in the town and surrounding communities, with neighbors describing chaotic scenes as unmarked cars, armored vehicles, and patrols blocked streets and entrances.

Stanimirovich described his own legal history, noting that he had not been charged since a firearms incident six years ago, which had placed him on a firearms prohibition order. He said police revisited his property in the hours after the initial detention and again at about 2:30 a.m., when officers shone lights on his home and he and his partner were awoken by the noise. He added that, despite the attention, he has not seen any evidence connecting him to Freeman and maintains he has no affiliation with the fugitive. Neighbors and local observers have said the raid appeared targeted and heavy-handed, contributing to a sense of unease as the search for Freeman stretches into a fifth week without a confirmed sighting.