Manhunt Underway for Dezi Freeman

📰 Shock in rural Victoria, Australia, as a gunman shoots two policemen and injures another in a violent ambush that shattered the calm of Porepunkah, a rural town in Victoria’s alpine region, on Tuesday, 26 August 2025.

Police officers were executing a search warrant at a property on Rayner Track when shots rang out. Two officers, Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart were shot and killed. A third police officer was seriously injured and airlifted to hospital. The alleged shooter, known locally as Dezi Freeman (officially Desmond Filby), remains on the run in rugged and unforgiving bushland, sparking one of Australia’s largest ever manhunts.

The warrant the police were serving was reportedly tied to historical sexual assault allegations made against Freeman involving a minor. Victoria Police, having assessed risks in advance, called in a team of about ten officers for the operation. But what should have been routine quickly turned into a deadly confrontation. At around 10:30 a.m. local time, Freeman allegedly opened fire as officers approached his bus and shelter structures on the property. It’s reported that he barricaded himself inside a bus with his family present at the time. When officers attempted to force their way in (one entering via a bus window) Freeman is believed to have shot both Thompson and de Waart-Hottart at point-blank range. The third officer was hit in the leg during crossfire. Freeman then fled on foot into dense bushland, likely carrying multiple firearms.

“They have no power over me, they’re the ones who live in fear of what I’ll do next.”
~ Dezi Freeman

Freeman is 56 years old and has been known to police for years. In prior incidents, he identified as a “sovereign citizen,” a fringe ideology that rejects government authority, legal systems, and often views police and courts as illegitimate. He once attempted to “arrest” a magistrate in a court proceeding and had his driving license revoked under automatic firearm prohibition laws. Freeman had also received attention for previous court clashes and anti-police messaging. Authorities say he has long held deep resentment toward law enforcement, and recent texts to a friend suggest mounting hostility: messages like “I’ve had enough of their harassment” and “I’m ready for what comes next” surfaced in media reports.

After the shooting, Victoria Police sealed off the area, imposed a no-fly zone, and launched a sprawling search operation. In the early days, nearly 450 officers were deployed, supported by helicopters, drones, cadaver dogs, interstate units, and even the Australian Defence Force. Over 100 properties in the region were searched, including caves, bunkers, and remote hideouts. Mount Buffalo National Park, which borders the area, remains closed to the public. As of early October, the active ground operation has scaled back to around 200 officers, though surveillance, intelligence gathering, and tip follow-ups continue, and the reward for information leading to Freeman’s arrest stands at AUD $1 million.

Community members in Porepunkah and neighboring towns have been placed under alerts. Residents were urged to stay indoors, and local schools went into lockdown. Witnesses described hearing loud bangs and gunfire early on, initially mistaking them for hunting shots in the bush. CCTV and drone footage showed Freeman’s wife, Mali Freeman, fleeing the scene carrying their child roughly 30 minutes later, though authorities found no evidence she had prior knowledge of the attack. Police have ruled out the family as accomplices as of now. The Freeman property has since been photographed and documented, revealing makeshift shelters, a bus, family mementos, cooking equipment, and signs of habitation. The condition suggests the site had been used long before the shooting, adding complexity to the investigation.

“When the law fails, I will act according to my own judgments.”
~ Dezi Freeman

The fallout from this crime is already reverberating across Australia and beyond. In Victoria, the police force has been shaken; memorials and vigils have been held, and the names of Thompson and de Waart-Hottart added to the Victoria Police roll of honour. National and state leaders, including the Prime Minister and Victorian Premier, have expressed grief and support, condemning the violence and emphasising the need to capture Freeman swiftly. The term “cop killer” is now seared into public discourse. For many, this marks not just an attack on officers but an assault on the social contract that binds rural districts to law and order.

Beyond Australia, media outlets in neighboring countries and global news networks have framed the incident as a stark reminder that ideological extremism and anti-government sentiment can turn lethal even in remote corners of the world. Analysts point to parallels with past rural attacks tied to sovereign citizen ideology (such as the Wieambilla killings in Queensland) as evidence that Australia is not immune to extremist threats found elsewhere abroad. Conversations about policing strategy, firearm laws, and how small-town communities respond to armed fugitives have dominated national commentary.

As the manhunt stretches on, pressure mounts on both police and the public. For investigators, every tip, every piece of forest trail, every wiped car plate or satellite image could be the break that yields Freeman. For citizens, particularly in rural Victoria, anxiety and fear weigh heavily: when a fugitive described as “heavily armed” is believed to be hiding nearby, ordinary life changes. Farms, roads, hiking trails and tourism areas are monitored or closed. Locals worry about inadvertent encounters; outsiders are warned not to venture into remote bushland.

Freeman’s motives, defense, and future legal accountability remain unclear. If caught, he is expected to face multiple charges: murder, attempted murder, firearms offenses, obstruction, and more. Given the political resonance, the case will likely be prosecuted aggressively. The role of ideology especially the sovereign citizen belief system will come under scrutiny, as will police procedure, court processes, and public safety in rural operations.

Whether these are posturing or integral to his worldview, they reflect the mindset authorities are now confronting: a man who believes the system itself is hostile to him, and who may see himself as a rogue arbiter of justice.

For now, Dezi Freeman remains at large, hiding in the shadowed ranges and forest tracks of Victoria. The search continues. The families of the slain officers grieve, the community waits, and a nation holds its breath.

In summary

• On 26 August 2025, two Victoria Police officers Detective Neal Thompson (59) and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart (35) were shot dead, and a third officer was wounded, during a police operation in Porepunkah, Victoria.
• The suspected shooter, Desmond “Dezi” Freeman (Filby), is a self-described sovereign citizen known for anti-police, anti-government views, and has prior legal clashes.
• Freeman allegedly ambushed officers serving a warrant, barricaded himself inside a bus with his family present, then fled on foot into dense bushland with multiple firearms.
• The manhunt grew massive with hundreds of officers, aerial teams, and a $1 million reward but as of now, Freeman remains uncaptured.
• The murder has sent shockwaves through Victoria and Australia at large, intensifying debate on policing in rural areas, domestic extremism, ideological violence, and the security of law enforcement.

Photos: 1News and The Conversation

References and Credits:

• ABC News – “Heavily armed fugitive Dezi Freeman remains at large in Victorian bushland”
• ABC News – “Inside the property where two Victoria Police officers were killed”
• Nine News / 9News – “What we know about the fatal police shooting in Porepunkah”
• The Guardian – “Police conduct ‘planned operation’ in Victorian town in hunt for Dezi Freeman”
• The Guardian – “Victoria Police announce $1m reward for information on Dezi Freeman”
• The Guardian – “Police condemn release of footage taken when Dezi Freeman allegedly shot two officers dead”
• News.com.au – “Benalla search: Police hunt for alleged cop killer Dezi Freeman”
• News.com.au – “Freeman’s texts to friend before killing two police officers in Porepunkah”
• Independent – “Manhunt for ‘sovereign citizen’ in rural Australia after two police shot dead”
• The Nightly – “Harrowing details emerge of the moment alleged cop killer shot two officers”
• ABC – Porepunkah police shootings (Wikipedia)
• Wikipedia – “Porepunkah police shootings”