One of the biggest manhunts in Australian history has come to an end after police fatally shot a fugitive believed to be Dezi Freeman, the self-styled “sovereign citizen” accused of killing two officers and evading capture for seven months.
Freeman vanished into thick bushland in Victoria last August after allegedly opening fire on police officers who had arrived at his property with a search warrant linked to alleged sex offenses.
The search operation quickly expanded into a major police effort, involving hundreds of officers, helicopters and sniffer dogs combing the rugged area around the rural town of Porepunkah.
Residents in the region spent months living in fear, amid concerns that Freeman, described as “heavily armed,” could still be hiding nearby.
Authorities said the man they believe was Freeman was located on Monday morning at a rural property in Victoria’s north-east. Police surrounded what was described as a “long caravan” before a three-hour standoff ended with officers shooting him dead.
“There was an opportunity for him to surrender peacefully, which he did not,” said Mike Bush, Victoria Police Chief Commissioner, adding that they “strongly believe” the man was armed.
Bush said his information suggests the shooting of the fugitive was “justified” though an investigation is underway to determine why police discharged their weapons.
Although formal identification is still being carried out, Bush said that if the dead man is confirmed to be Freeman, it would bring “closure to what was a tragic and terrible event.”
He added that the families of the two officers killed last August, Det. Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart, were informed before the public announcement.
The deaths of the two officers drew attention to the growing presence of the sovereign citizen movement in Australia.
Experts said the case highlighted the violent risks posed by the ideology, which began in the United States.
Followers of the movement reject the legitimacy of laws and government institutions, often using pseudo-legal arguments to challenge police officers, judges, lawyers and public officials.
Freeman, formerly known as Desmond Filby, had long been on police radar. He frequently spoke out against law enforcement and once described police as “Nazis” and “terrorist thugs” in court documents filed during an attempt to overturn a 2020 traffic-related conviction.
The hunt for Freeman stretched across Australia, with police drawing support from every state and territory, as well as New Zealand authorities. Investigators followed more than 2,000 leads during the search.
The discovery of the suspect nearly 200 kilometers from the original crime scene has raised fresh questions about how he managed to move so far and whether he had help along the way.
“I’m sure some actually assisted him in getting away from Porepunkah to where he was located. But that’s a very important part of what comes next to determine that, and if anyone was complicit, they will be held to account,” Bush said.
Police had earlier suggested they “strongly” believed Freeman may have died by suicide, but Bush said investigators continued to examine every possibility.
“There was a lot to suggest that Freeman had taken his own life, but I can tell you standing here that our investigators … our professionals keep their mind open to every possible outcome and follow every possible lead,” said Bush.
The Police Association of Victoria said Freeman’s death “represents a step forward” for their members, the families of fallen members and the community.
“Today, we won’t reflect on the loss of a coward. We will remember the courage and bravery of our fallen members, and every officer that has doggedly pursued this outcome for the community.”
