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The Porepunkah police shootings shocked Australia after two Victoria Police officers were killed during a warrant operation in 2025. Gunman Dezi Freeman fled into bushland, sparking a massive seven-month manhunt before he was fatally shot by police.
On August 26, 2025, officers from Victoria Police attended a rural property near Porepunkah in northeastern Victoria to execute a warrant linked to alleged child abuse material offences involving Dezi Freeman. During the operation, Freeman opened fire on police, killing two officers and critically injuring another. Freeman fled into surrounding bushland immediately after the shootings, triggering one of the largest tactical policing operations in Australian history. The case dominated national headlines for months as heavily armed police searched remote areas of Victoria’s northeast while warning the public that Freeman was considered extremely dangerous.
The shootings occurred at a rural property on Rayner Track near Porepunkah. Investigators later determined Freeman used firearms against officers during the warrant execution, killing Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart at the scene. A third officer suffered serious injuries. The isolated bush setting complicated emergency response efforts and the immediate search for Freeman, who escaped into nearby terrain shortly after the attack. Police later recovered forensic evidence, ballistic material, and equipment connected to the shootings.
Victoria Police launched a statewide manhunt involving specialist tactical units, aerial surveillance, dog squads, and interstate support. Authorities received thousands of public tips during the seven-month search for Freeman, who allegedly survived while hiding in remote bush areas near the Victoria-New South Wales border. In March 2026, tactical police located Freeman at a remote property in Thologolong. After a lengthy standoff, Freeman allegedly refused commands to surrender and was fatally shot by police. Investigators later examined whether he had received assistance while on the run.
Dezi Freeman was fatally shot by police on March 30, 2026, ending the manhunt. Coronial investigations were later launched into both the Porepunkah shootings and Freeman’s death.
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The Porepunkah police shootings shocked Australia after two Victoria Police officers were killed during a warrant operation in 2025. Gunman Dezi Freeman fled into bushland, sparking a massive seven-month manhunt before he was fatally shot by police.
