Drunk-driving police officer reinstated after crash during Dezi Freeman manhunt

A specialist police officer involved in the hunt for Dezi Freeman who was sacked for crashing a police car while drunk-driving on duty has been handed back his job.

The sergeant was driving the unmarked car, which had guns inside, on Hickory Road in Berwick when he rear-ended another vehicle just before 7am on September 10 last year.

He blew a 0.07 breath test following the collision, telling Victoria's police disciplinary board that he drank two "very strong" bourbon and cokes about three hours earlier "out of desperation to get some sleep" after learning Dezi Freeman had murdered two officers in August last year.

"For a police officer to drive a police vehicle while affected by alcohol is particularly serious conduct," said the decision published by the Police Registration and Services Board.

The officer was initially sacked in May, but that decision has been reversed.

Diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder following almost 20 years in a specialist unit responding to major incidents, the officer told the board he struggled to sleep after the double murder.

The officer, who has not been named by the board to protect his privacy, worked at least 68 hours over five days following the shooting, including one 18-hour shift.

The board said he also could not sleep before and after attending the funeral for Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson two days before the drunken collision.

An investigator tasked with probing the incident had ruled to dismiss the sergeant after questioning him about an "alcohol dependency" and "drinking problem".

But the board found the officer's psychological evaluations and character references from senior colleagues did not amount to an addiction to alcohol.

It found that the move to terminate the officer was "harsh" because it did not factor in the officer's PTSD, extreme fatigue and "excessive" workload following the Porepunkah double murder.

The board also noted the officer's trauma from fatally shooting an offender on the job in 2024.

"They do not excuse the applicant's conduct, nor diminish the seriousness of driving a police vehicle while affected by alcohol," the board said.

"They do, however, provide a compelling explanation for conduct which was markedly inconsistent with the applicant's previous 25 years of service."

One superintendent from the officer's former specialist unit said he had "taken full ownership and responsibility for this incident … at no time has he attempted to shift or deflect blame".

Victoria Police had pushed to uphold the officer's dismissal, citing the need to maintain the force's reputation and public trust, but noted the officer had received professional help.

Instead of being dismissed, the officer will be permanently removed from his former specialist unit, placed in an operational training team and ordered to donate $2500 to Police Legacy — a charity that supports families of fallen officers.

Victoria Police has been contacted for comment.