A massive manhunt continues in Victoria, Australia, for a 56-year-old man accused of killing two police officers and wounding a third during an ambush at his rural property on Tuesday, August 26, 2025. Dezi Freeman remains at large in the dense bushland surrounding Porepunkah, a town of approximately 1,000 people located 200 miles northeast of Melbourne.
The shooting occurred at approximately 10:30 a.m. when 10 armed police officers attempted to execute a search warrant at Freeman’s property on Rayner Track. The warrant was reportedly related to historical sex offenses being investigated by Victoria Police’s sexual offenses and child abuse investigation teams. Within minutes of arriving, officers came under gunfire from Freeman, who then fled on foot into the surrounding forest.
Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, 35, were killed in the attack. Thompson, who was approaching retirement, had served with Victoria Police since 1987, spending seven years in general duties at Collingwood police station before working as a detective with the major fraud squad and state crime squad. De Waart had recently arrived in Wangaratta after starting his policing career at the Victoria Police academy in late 2018 and working at St. Kilda police station.
A third officer was shot in the lower body and underwent surgery. Hospital officials confirmed the wounded officer remained in stable condition at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne as of Thursday morning, August 28. The remaining seven officers at the scene were physically unharmed but described as traumatized by the incident.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush described Freeman as heavily armed and experienced in wilderness survival skills. Bush indicated that Freeman was believed to be carrying multiple firearms, including long arms, and investigators were examining whether he had taken additional weapons from the fallen officers. The commissioner noted that the officers “were murdered in cold blood.”
Freeman, also known legally as Desmond Filby, has been identified by Australian media as a self-proclaimed “sovereign citizen” with well-documented anti-government beliefs. Court records from 2024 show Freeman had referred to police officers as “Nazis,” “Gestapo,” and “terrorist thugs” during legal proceedings. In 2021, he attempted unsuccessfully to arrest a magistrate and police officers while representing himself in Wangaratta Magistrate’s Court.
The search operation has deployed hundreds of specialist resources, including air and ground units, across the mountainous terrain of Victoria’s alpine region. Armored vehicles and helicopters have been patrolling the area, while tactical response teams from multiple agencies, including the Australian Federal Police, have joined the manhunt.
The search has been complicated by severe weather conditions, with Victoria’s alpine regions experiencing some of the worst weather of the year, including blizzards and heavy snowfall on Mount Buffalo. The challenging terrain and Freeman’s knowledge of the local area have posed significant obstacles for search teams.
On Thursday night, police arrested Freeman’s wife, Amalia Freeman, 42, and their 15-year-old son during a raid at a Porepunkah property. Both were interviewed and released without charges pending further investigation. Victoria Police Commissioner Bush confirmed the arrests were part of the homicide investigation but declined to specify whether charges would follow.
Amalia Freeman released a public statement through her lawyer, offering condolences to the families of the slain officers and distancing herself from her husband’s anti-government views. She emphasized that she and her children respect the work of Victoria Police and urged her husband to surrender. The statement included a direct plea for Freeman to contact emergency services and arrange a surrender plan with police.
Police strategy has shifted as the manhunt continued. Superintendent Brett Kahan indicated that authorities believe community members are assisting Freeman or concealing knowledge of his whereabouts. Kahan stated that people have chosen not to come forward despite knowing information about the fugitive’s location.
Authorities have established a mobile police facility in nearby Bright, encouraging anonymous tips from the public. Police have warned that anyone harboring or assisting Freeman faces serious criminal charges. On Friday, officers arrested a 61-year-old man in Bright during a search warrant execution that yielded guns and cannabis, though the individual claimed no association with Freeman beyond membership in an Australian Preppers group.
The incident has drawn comparisons to a similar attack in Queensland on December 12, 2022, when two young police officers were killed by Christian extremists at a rural property. That shooting involved conspiracy theorists with anti-government beliefs and resulted in six total deaths, including the three perpetrators.
The Porepunkah community has been urged to remain indoors and avoid traveling to the area while the search continues. Local schools were placed in lockdown on Tuesday before students were eventually allowed to return home. Public buildings and the nearby airfield were closed as a precautionary measure.
The manhunt has intensified significantly. Military resources have been mobilized, and investigators are turning their attention to hidden refuge options like mineshafts. Freeman’s wife continues to publicly urge his surrender, while authorities contemplate financial incentives and issue stern warnings to any would-be collaborators. Porepunkah and nearby towns remain in a state of tense lockdown, mournfully honoring the officers lost and seeking closure.