<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Nearly nine months after two Victoria Police officers were gunned down in the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/dezi-freeman-update-timeline-events-porepunkah-shooting/41d647d1-8666-4612-9009-8f3b17a83d66" rel="" target="" title="state's high country"><span>state's high country</span></a><span>, the owner of the remote property at the centre of the siege has broken his silence.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Andrew Swift has described the chaotic aftermath of the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/police-likely-believed-dezi-freeman-was-dead-until-tipoff-former-police-negotiator-says/30a5f73f-8fc4-43fe-8938-a51e9a7f173d" rel="" target="" title="shooting"><span>shooting</span></a><span> at his bushland property near Porepunkah, revealing he helped a third injured officer reach an ambulance after the attack carried out by </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/dezi-freeman-update-police-tracked-car-to-hideout-on-rural-property-before-the-manhunt-ended-in-hail-of-bullets/ceab03c4-6d99-4417-9e9f-ee674d52548c" rel="" target="" title="Dezi Freeman."><span>Dezi Freeman.</span></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In a clip published by YouTube channel The Living Free Movement, Swift recalled seeing the wounded policeman bleeding heavily after officers pulled back from the scene.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/dezi-freeman-update-timeline-events-porepunkah-shooting/41d647d1-8666-4612-9009-8f3b17a83d66" rel="" target="" title="The timeline of events that led to cop-killer Dezi Freeman's death"><strong><span>The timeline of events that led to cop-killer Dezi Freeman's death</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"He's wearing dark-coloured pants, but you could tell they were all wet from blood, from a gunshot somewhere down on his lower half," Swift said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/wet-from-blood-dezi-freeman-s-landlord-says-he-helped-save-wounded-officer-20260512-p5zvz4.html" rel="" target="" title="The Age"><em><span>The Age</span></em></a><span> reports that Swift initially considered using a Kubota vehicle to transport the officer, but decided it was unsuitable given the severity of the injuries.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I could tell because of his lower injury I wouldn't be able to get him in the Kubota [tractor], so I then said to police I'm going to go get a more suitable vehicle, so we can get this guy in, get him to the ambulance."</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/dezi-freeman-porepunkah-landlord-bush-property-breaks-silence/cc3b35f4-dbcd-4b35-9948-a18a49534fc7" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The interview was filmed by Dave Armstrong, who said a longer version would be released in the coming days.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/dezi-freeman-shot-reports-emerge-fugitive-killed-by-armed-police/77941806-6f56-4584-a39f-f5c57263a337" rel="" target="" title="Fugitive gunman Dezi Freeman shot dead by police"><strong><span>Fugitive gunman Dezi Freeman shot dead by police</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The property became the focus of national attention after Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart were fatally shot there on August 26, 2025.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Freeman escaped into rugged alpine bushland after the ambush, setting off a massive cross-border manhunt that ran for months before specialist officers tracked him to a remote camp near Thologolong on March 30, where he was shot dead.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/videos/national/new-images-emerge-of-accused-gunman-dezi-freemans-bus/cmff14x1700010hns6dg60lzr" rel="" target="" title="New images emerge of accused gunman Dezi Freeman's bus"><strong><span>New images emerge of accused gunman Dezi Freeman's bus</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In a statement obtained by </span><em><span>The Age</span></em><span>, Swift and his wife, Rebecca, said they had deliberately avoided speaking to mainstream media and instead wanted to work with "independent media" outlets.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Our hope is to work with people who are willing to engage thoughtfully and help ensure a more complete and balanced account is available," the statement read.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The story we will be sharing with you has not been presented by any mainstream media, because we have maintained complete silence with the msm propaganda machine and have avoided them."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Swifts said they accepted Freeman was responsible for killing the two officers, but claimed the confrontation could have ended differently if "protocol and common sense, decency, humanity and reason had … been employed on that day".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/dezi-freeman-hideout-a-look-inside-australias-most-famous-shipping-container/6c09db84-df3f-40a0-88b9-ad4673e66716" rel="" target="" title="A look inside Australia's most infamous shipping container"><strong><span>A look inside Australia's most infamous shipping container</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We did not anticipate or expect any of what occurred. But somehow the mainstream media were experts on Dezi Freeman from the first day," they said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Armstrong claimed the couple contacted him because they believed key parts of the story had been misunderstood, including allegations that Freeman subscribed to sovereign-citizen ideology.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Living Free Movement markets itself online as a platform focused on "freedom in health, lifestyle, clean food, lawful processes".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Freeman, formerly known as Desmond Filby, had reportedly become deeply distrustful of authorities during the pandemic and was described by people close to him as increasingly hostile toward police.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><strong><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>