Manhunt Ends in Tragedy: Sovereign Citizen Dezi Freeman Shot Dead by Police After Seven Months on the Run

Dezi Freeman, born Desmond Christopher Filby in 1969 or 1970, was fatally shot by police on Monday morning, 30 March 2026, at a rural property near Thologolong in Victoria’s north-east, ending one of Australia’s largest and most intense manhunts.

sbs.com.au

Dezi Freeman has been shot dead after a seven-month manhunt | SBS News

The 56-year-old self-proclaimed “sovereign citizen” had been wanted since 26 August 2025, when he allegedly ambushed police officers executing a search warrant at his property near Porepunkah in Victoria’s High Country. In the deadly confrontation, Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart were killed, while a third officer was seriously injured.

wellingtontimes.com.au

Dezi Freeman: Fugitive wanted for officers’ deaths reportedly shot | Wellington Times | Wellington, NSW

Freeman, also known as Dezi Bird Freeman, fled into the dense bushland of Mount Buffalo National Park, an area he knew intimately as an experienced bushman and bushcraft expert. He had hiked and survived in the rugged terrain since his teenage years, skills that allowed him to evade hundreds of officers, dogs, helicopters and specialist teams for 216 days despite freezing conditions and a record $1 million reward.

parks.vic.gov.au

Mount Buffalo National Park

From Desmond Filby to fringe extremist

Born Desmond Filby, Freeman changed his name around 2003, adopting “Freeman” — a surname popular in sovereign citizen circles — to symbolise his rejection of government authority. He lived an unconventional life on the fringes of society with his wife, Mali Freeman (née Amalia, 42), and their children at a remote property known as Four Gully Farm in Porepunkah, about 320 km north-east of Melbourne. The couple had three children; their eldest son had moved out, while two younger ones, including a 15-year-old boy, remained with them.

news.com.au

Dezi Freeman: Wife Mali Freeman spotted first time in public since Porepunkah police shootings | news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site for latest headlines

Freeman worked variously as a freelance photographer and embraced bushcraft. Never-before-seen photos show a younger Freeman kayaking shirtless through rivers, climbing trees barefoot and handling snakes — images that later fuelled speculation about his ability to survive indefinitely in the wild.

thenightly.com.au

Dezi Freeman: Never-before-seen photos reveal alleged cop killers’ survival skills, keeping him at large | The Nightly

Family members and friends reportedly distanced themselves as his anti-government views intensified, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic. He posted online calling for the “extermination” of politicians and railed against state authorities. Sovereign citizens, or pseudo-law adherents, believe they are not bound by laws passed by Parliament unless they personally consent. They often target police, courts, local councils and the tax office with pseudolegal arguments.

Long history of contempt for police

Freeman made no secret of his hatred for law enforcement. In 2024 court proceedings over driving offences dating back to 2020 (speeding, using a mobile phone while driving and refusing a saliva test), he described police as “frigging Nazis”, “Gestapo” and “terrorist thugs”. He compared seeing a police officer to “an Auschwitz survivor seeing a Nazi soldier” and once attempted to “arrest” a magistrate and officers during a dispute over national park access.

rnz.co.nz

Australian police believed to have shot dead fugitive gunman Dezi Freeman in Victoria’s north-east | RNZ News

His wife Mali and 15-year-old son were arrested in a raid in Porepunkah days after the shooting but were interviewed and released pending further inquiries. Mali publicly urged her husband to surrender and expressed condolences to the families of the slain officers, stating she did not share his anti-authority views. No charges were ultimately laid against her or two others interviewed in connection with the manhunt.

The fatal confrontation and seven-month fugitive saga

On the morning of 26 August 2025, a team of about 10 officers, including members of the sexual offences and child investigation unit, arrived at Freeman’s property to execute a search warrant. Within minutes, gunfire erupted. The two officers were killed in what police described as a cold-blooded ambush; Freeman then disappeared into the surrounding wilderness.

theguardian.com

An isolated property, a morning standoff and an armed fugitive: Dezi Freeman’s final hours | Porepunkah shooting | The Guardian

The search — dubbed Operation Summit — became one of the most extensive in Victorian history, involving hundreds of officers and support from other states. Police warned the public not to approach the “high-risk” fugitive. Rumours swirled in the tight-knit High Country community, with some speculating he was being harboured locally or surviving deep in the bush he knew better than most.

The manhunt concluded dramatically on 30 March 2026. Acting on a tip-off, police surrounded a rural property where Freeman was believed to be hiding in a caravan or shipping container-style structure. After a three-hour standoff, during which he was urged to surrender peacefully, he was shot and killed by officers. No police were injured in the final confrontation. In his last moments, reports indicate he was holding a firearm belonging to one of the slain officers.

1news.co.nz

Aerial images show remote site where Dezi Freeman was shot dead

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush confirmed a man was fatally shot during the operation, bringing closure to the families of the fallen officers and the broader investigation.

A broader warning

Freeman’s case has spotlighted the sovereign citizen movement in Australia, which experts say has grown more radicalised and occasionally violent. His actions, rooted in deep-seated conspiracy beliefs and hatred of authority, ended in tragedy for two dedicated police officers, their families, and ultimately himself.

Porepunkah residents expressed relief mixed with sadness, describing the small community as forever changed. The rugged beauty of Mount Buffalo, with its waterfalls, granite outcrops and vast forests, became both a sanctuary and a trap for a man who chose to live outside society’s rules.

As investigations continue and formal identification is confirmed, questions remain about how Freeman sustained himself for so long and whether anyone assisted his evasion. For now, the seven-month ordeal that gripped Victoria has reached its violent conclusion.