Police Killer Dezi Freeman Shot Dead After Seven-Month Manhunt

Victoria Police say the man was found 100 kilometres from where he gunned down two officers.

Photos of suspected police shooter Dezi Freeman and Victorian Police at the scene of a shooting in the high country of Porepunkah in Victoria, Australia, Aug. 26, 2025. AAP Image/Simon Dallinger

Dezi Freeman, a fugitive wanted over the fatal shooting of two police officers has been shot dead following a seven-month manhunt in Victoria.

Victoria Police confirmed officers acted on a tip-off about Desmond “Dezi” Freeman’s whereabouts at a rural property near Thologolong, close to Walwa, about 100 kilometres from his home in Porepunkah in the north-east of Victoria.

Police attended the site early on March 30, where a shoot-out occurred. Freeman was shot about 8.30 a.m. and later found inside a structure described as a cross between a container and a very long caravan.

Police Commissioner Mike Bush said the man is believed to be Freeman, though formal identification is still underway.

“We believe it is Freeman,” Bush told reporters.

“This brings closure to what was a tragic and terrible event.”

The state coroner will attend the scene, and Professional Standards Command will oversee the investigation, in line with standard procedures for police shootings.

Standoff Before Fatal Encounter

Police confirmed a standoff took place before tactical units were deployed, with investigators continuing to piece together the sequence of events.

Bush said officers attempted to resolve the situation peacefully before the shooting.

“There was an opportunity for him to surrender peacefully, which he did not. We’re working through the sequence of that we strongly believe yet to be confirmed as well that he was armed,” he said.

Authorities are also examining whether Freeman received assistance in his seven-month escape.

Bush said it would have been “very difficult” for him to reach the remote location without help.

“We will conduct an investigation to see if others have been complicit and aiding him, not just in getting out of the area but supporting him whilst he’s been on the run,” the commissioner said.

Officers Killed In August Shooting

Freeman, formerly known as “Filby” and is a self-ascribed “sovereign citizen,” had been on the run since Aug. 26 last year, when two police officers were shot dead at his Porepunkah property.

He was last seen fleeing into bushland near the Rayner Track property, reportedly armed.

Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart were killed while executing a search warrant. A third officer was seriously injured.

Detective Senior Constable Thompson, 59, was just a week away from retirement, while Senior Constable de Waart-Hottart, 34, was on temporary assignment to the area.

Bush confirmed the families of the slain officers were the first to be informed of the latest development.