Porepunkah property owner recounts aiding wounded officer after 2025 police shooting by Dezi Freeman
Nearly nine months after Dezi Freeman fatally shot two Victoria Police officers—Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart—on August 26, 2025, at a property near Porepunkah, Andrew Swift, the landowner, has spoken publicly for the first time. In an interview with YouTuber Dave Armstrong, Swift described seeing a third officer severely wounded and attempting to assist by securing a suitable vehicle for transport to an ambulance. The officers had been executing a warrant related to suspected child sexual abuse material when Freeman opened fire. Freeman fled into bushland and was killed by police in Thologolong on March 30, 2026, following a seven-month manhunt. Swift and his wife Rebecca, who allowed Freeman and his family to reside on their 20-acre property, cited a mistrust of mainstream media and chose to share their account through independent channels. An inquest into the incident is scheduled to begin soon. Victoria Police have declined to comment while the matter is before the coroner.
All three sources report the same core event: Andrew Swift’s public account of aiding a wounded officer after the 2025 Porepunkah shooting. However, they differ significantly in framing, tone, and depth. 9News Australia provides the most complete and contextually rich coverage, including the Swifts’ explicit critique of police conduct and media bias. news.com.au amplifies Armstrong’s narrative framing, emphasizing claims of media distrust and community intimidation, while using more emotive language. ABC News Australia delivers a concise, neutral account but omits critical contextual elements such as the Swifts’ broader critique and Armstrong’s ideological positioning. The divergence in language—particularly around whether Freeman 'murdered' officers (news.com.au) versus 'killed' or 'shot at' them (9News Australia and ABC News Australia)—reflects differing editorial choices in tone and emphasis.
- ✓ Andrew Swift, owner of the Porepunkah property, broke his silence nearly nine months after the August 26, 2025, shooting.
- ✓ Swift stated he saw a wounded officer bleeding from a lower-body gunshot wound after the ambush.
- ✓ He considered using a Kubota ATV to transport the injured officer but determined it was unsuitable due to the nature of the injuries.
- ✓ Swift told police he would retrieve a more suitable vehicle to help transport the officer to an ambulance.
- ✓ The interview was conducted by YouTuber Dave Armstrong of 'The Living Free Movement'.
- ✓ A longer version of the interview is expected to be released.
- ✓ Dezi Freeman fatally shot Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart during a police operation related to suspected child abuse material.
- ✓ Freeman fled into bushland and was killed by police in Thologolong on March 30, 2026, after a seven-month manhunt.
- ✓ The Swifts had allowed Freeman and his family to live on their 20-acre property.
- ✓ The Swifts expressed distrust of mainstream media and chose to speak only through independent outlets.
Framing of the Swifts’ media stance and critique of police
Mentions the Swifts’ distrust of mainstream media and Armstrong’s claim of police 'intimidation', but does not include their critique of police conduct or use of the term 'propaganda'.
Explicitly quotes the Swifts’ statement calling mainstream media a 'propaganda machine' and claims the confrontation 'could have ended differently' if police had used 'common sense, decency, humanity and reason'.
Does not mention any critique of police actions or media bias; only notes the Swifts 'asked [Armstrong] to get involved' due to 'serious mistrust of the media'.
Portrayal of Armstrong and his platform
Describes Armstrong’s platform as claiming to reveal the 'real' and 'untold story', and includes his claim that Swift was the only non-police/family eyewitness.
Refers to Armstrong’s channel neutrally as 'The Living Free Movement' and notes he filmed the interview; no editorial judgment.
Presents Armstrong’s claims similarly to news.com.au, including the 'only eyewitness' assertion, but without skepticism or context.
Context on the police operation
Includes the same detail about child abuse material.
Mentions the warrant was related to 'hundreds of suspected child abuse images'.
Also includes the detail about suspected child abuse images.
Reference to inquest and current status
Does not mention the inquest.
Does not mention the upcoming inquest.
Notes that 'an inquest into the incident will begin later this month' and that Victoria Police declined comment due to coronial processes.
Characterization of Dezi Freeman’s actions
Uses strong language: 'murdered two cops', 'murdered two police officers'.
Uses neutral language: 'gunned down', 'ambush', 'shot dead'.
Uses moderate language: 'killed two police officers', 'shot at police'.
9News Australia
Framing: 9News Australia frames the event as a suppressed narrative emerging from a property owner who distrusts mainstream institutions. It emphasizes the Swifts’ perspective as corrective to media omissions and implies police actions may have escalated the situation.
Tone: Reflective, critical of mainstream media, and subtly sympathetic to the property owners’ viewpoint
Loaded Language: Describes the Swifts avoiding 'mainstream media' and calling it the 'msm propaganda machine', which is a clear example of loaded language to delegitimize traditional press.
""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.""
Narrative Framing: Claims the confrontation 'could have ended differently' if police used 'common sense, decency, humanity and reason', implying fault without evidence—this is narrative framing that shifts blame.
"The Swifts said they accepted Freeman was responsible... but claimed the confrontation could have ended differently if 'protocol and common sense, decency, humanity and reason had … been employed on that day'."
Editorializing: Cites a statement from the Swifts without challenging or contextualizing their claim about media bias, allowing editorializing to stand unchallenged.
"The Swifts said they accepted Freeman was responsible for killing the two officers, but claimed the confrontation could have ended differently..."
Proper Attribution: Refers to the YouTube channel neutrally while quoting its content, avoiding judgment on the platform’s credibility—this is proper attribution.
"In a clip published by YouTube channel The Living Free Movement, Swift recalled..."
news.com.au
Framing: news.com.au frames the event as a revelation from a long-silent eyewitness, emphasizing Armstrong’s role as an uncoverer of truth and amplifying claims of police overreach and media bias.
Tone: Sensational, aligned with alternative media narratives, and implicitly skeptical of official accounts
Appeal To Emotion: Uses the phrase 'murdered two cops' in both headline and body, which is emotionally charged and legally premature (no trial occurred), constituting appeal to emotion.
"where Dezi Freeman murdered two cops"
Vague Attribution: Presents Armstrong’s claim that the Swifts were subjected to 'intimidation and fear' by police without verification—this is vague attribution and potentially misleading context.
"There’s also been a whole lot of intimidation and fear that’s been put into the community by the Victorian police..."
Cherry Picking: Highlights Armstrong’s claim that Swift was the 'only eyewitness' outside police and family, which elevates a partisan source’s assertion without scrutiny—cherry-picking a specific claim.
"Mr Armstrong claimed Mr Swift was the only eyewitness, outside of the police and the Freeman family, at the scene"
Framing By Emphasis: Mentions the sovereign citizen movement in connection with media distrust, providing ideological context but not challenging it—this is framing by emphasis.
"in particular the 'agenda' regarding the sovereign citizen movement"
ABC News Australia
Framing: ABC News Australia frames the event as a straightforward factual disclosure by a property owner, focusing on Swift’s actions and the upcoming release of a longer interview, without amplifying ideological or institutional critiques.
Tone: Neutral, factual, and restrained, with minimal editorial influence
Balanced Reporting: Reports the Swifts’ mistrust of media factually, without editorial judgment or loaded terms—this reflects balanced reporting.
"They asked him to 'get involved' because of a 'serious mistrust of the media'"
Comprehensive Sourcing: Notes the upcoming inquest and police non-comment due to coronial process—this demonstrates comprehensive sourcing and awareness of legal context.
"An inquest into the incident will begin later this month. Victoria Police declined to comment as the matter is before the coroner."
Balanced Reporting: Describes Freeman’s actions with neutral verbs like 'killed' and 'shot at', avoiding emotionally charged terms—this is neutral framing.
"where Dezi Freeman killed two police officers"
Proper Attribution: Presents Armstrong’s claim about Swift being the only non-police/family eyewitness without endorsing or challenging it—this is proper attribution.
"Andy was an eyewitness to what occurred on that day. He is the only eyewitness outside of the police and the family"
9News Australia
9News Australia provides the most comprehensive coverage by including direct quotes, contextual background, the Swifts’ statement on media distrust, and their critique of police conduct. It also references additional forthcoming content and includes nuanced claims about alternative narratives.
news.com.au
news.com.au offers solid factual reporting with timeline context, mentions the sovereign citizen movement, and includes Armstrong’s claims about intimidation, but lacks the depth of the Swifts’ own statement and critique of police protocols.
ABC News Australia
ABC News Australia reports the core facts accurately but offers the least additional context—no mention of the Swifts’ critique of police actions, media framing, or ideological motivations. It is concise and neutral but omits several key elements present in the others.
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