Lead
The owner of the Porepunkah property where Dezi Freeman fatally shot two police officers says he helped a third officer seriously injured in the same incident. Andrew Swift, who lives on the rural property in Victoria's north-east, described the aftermath in a video interview released on social media.
In the interview, conducted by YouTuber Dave Armstrong and published this week, Swift said he saw the wounded officer immediately after the August 26, 2025 shooting and assisted in getting him to an ambulance. Dezi Freeman was on the run for seven months before police shot him on March 30, 2026.
Coverage Comparison
The story was reported by two ABC Australia articles, both covering the same incident but with differing focuses. One article focused on Swift's role as an eyewitness and the confiscation of his phone, while the other highlighted his assistance to the wounded officer and the upcoming inquest. Both articles attribute the details to Swift's interviews and note that the matter is before the coroner.
Key Claims
Swift said the officer's lower half was covered in blood from a gunshot wound, making it clear he needed transport to an ambulance. "He was wearing dark coloured pants but you could tell they were all wet from blood from a gunshot [wound] somewhere down on his lower half," Swift said in the video. He told police he would get a more suitable vehicle than the Kubota ATV because the officer's injury prevented him from riding in the upright vehicle.
Swift also said he filmed parts of the police operation, but that his phone, containing the footage, was confiscated by police. In a longer video released in October 2025, Swift detailed knowing Freeman since the 1990s and allowing Freeman's family to live in a converted bus on his property for over three years in exchange for work.
According to Swift, he was in his office when Freeman's wife Mali called to say police were on the property. He approached with his phone recording, encountering around 10 police officers. Swift said an officer threatened to arrest him if he interfered, to which Swift replied he would remain a witness and continued filming.
Perspectives
Swift's account is provided through two separate interviews: one short video with Armstrong released recently, and a longer hour-long video shot in October 2025. The longer video was produced with a group Swift met at a festival, which said it sought to provide an alternative to mainstream media coverage due to distrust. Victoria Police declined to comment on the video, citing the ongoing coronial process.
An inquest into the shooting is scheduled to be held later this month, which will presumably examine the events and the police operation.
Both ABC articles note that Swift assisted the wounded officer, a claim that is consistent across the coverage. The claim about the phone confiscation appears in only one of the two articles and is attributed solely to Swift's statement. It remains unclear whether the footage has been reviewed by authorities.
The upcoming inquest may provide more clarity on the incident, including the circumstances of the shooting and the police response. Until then, Swift's account stands as a personal testimony of a traumatic event, offered through public interviews.