During a police raid on August 26, Dezi Freeman shot and killed Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart, and seriously injured a third officer, according to multiple reports. Freeman was on the run for 216 days after the shooting before being shot dead, multiple reports indicate. The family of Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson plans to sue Victoria Police, alleging poor communication and exclusion after his death.
The Sloan family has sued Victoria Police after being arrested and having their property raided during the search for Dezi Freeman, multiple reports indicate. Jeremy Sloan, Sarah Naylor, and Bryan Sloan were cleared of any connection to Dezi Freeman after their arrest and property search, according to multiple reports. Victoria Police has not received a writ in relation to the Sloan family lawsuit, a spokesperson confirmed.
Dezi Freeman was the subject of a warrant over alleged historical sex offences and was banned from owning firearms at the time of the raid, multiple reports indicate. A coronial inquest into the deaths of the two officers is forthcoming, according to multiple reports.