Blanket Drops… Stolen Police Gun Revealed: Cop Killer Dezi Freeman Shot Dead After 216-Day Manhunt

After more than seven months on the run, accused double cop killer Dezi Freeman has been fatally shot by tactical police in a dramatic three-hour standoff in Victoria’s remote north-east.

A man believed to be the 56-year-old fugitive emerged from a shipping container-style structure wrapped only in a blanket. He then dropped the blanket, revealing what police believe was a loaded stolen police handgun. Special Operations Group (SOG) officers opened fire shortly after 8:30am, ending one of Australia’s longest and most intense manhunts.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said officers “strongly believe” the man killed was Freeman, though formal identification — including fingerprinting — is still underway and could take up to 48 hours. “He was given every opportunity to surrender peacefully, which he declined,” Bush stated during a press conference.

The confrontation occurred at a rural property on Murray River Road in Thologolong, near the town of Walwa on the Victorian-NSW border. Police acted on a public tip-off and surrounded the isolated site early Monday morning.

Negotiators spent nearly three hours attempting to convince the man to surrender. He eventually stepped out wrapped in a blanket. In a shocking final act of defiance, he dropped it — exposing an armed threat. No police officers were injured in the operation.

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“HE WAS JUST WRAPPED IN A BLANKET” — The Chilling Final Moment

Reports and police comments confirm the man came out of the container-like structure wrapped in a blanket before revealing a weapon, described as “quite possible” to be one of the service pistols stolen during last year’s deadly ambush. The bizarre scene has quickly become the defining image of Freeman’s last stand.

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The Deadly Ambush on Rayner Track

The manhunt began on August 26, 2025, when ten officers from the sexual offences and child abuse investigation team arrived at Freeman’s property on Rayner Track near Porepunkah in Victoria’s alpine region to execute a search warrant.

The officers were ambushed almost immediately. Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart, 35, were shot dead. A third officer was seriously injured but survived.

Freeman, a known sovereign citizen, conspiracy theorist, and skilled survivalist with strong bushcraft abilities, fled on foot into the dense, rugged terrain of Mount Buffalo National Park. He was believed to be heavily armed, including with weapons taken from the slain officers.

Despite an unprecedented search involving hundreds of police, helicopters, tracking dogs, and support from interstate forces, Freeman evaded capture for 216 days. In February 2026, police publicly stated they “strongly believed” he was dead due to the harsh winter conditions and lack of sightings.

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A Reclusive Sovereign Citizen

Freeman was well-known in the alpine community for his anti-government views and reclusive lifestyle. He lived on the Rayner Track property with makeshift shelters, where he was reportedly home-schooling children. Photos from the original crime scene later revealed cluttered living conditions inside and around his bus and shelters.

A $1 million reward had been offered for information leading to his arrest, generating widespread public interest and occasional unconfirmed rumours of local assistance.

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Closure After Australia’s Longest Manhunt

The fatal shooting in Thologolong brings an end to Operation Summit and a measure of relief to the tight-knit communities still mourning the two fallen officers. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan described the outcome as bringing “closure” to a “terrible and tragic event.”

Chief Commissioner Bush praised the professionalism of the officers involved and confirmed the incident will undergo standard coronial and internal reviews, including scrutiny of the original risk assessment that did not deploy the SOG to the Rayner Track warrant.

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As forensic teams continue their work at the Thologolong property, questions remain about how Freeman survived undetected for so long in the unforgiving high country and whether he received any external support.

For the families of Detective Leading Senior Constable Thompson and Senior Constable De Waart-Hottart, today marks the end of a painful wait. While nothing can return their loved ones, the long pursuit is finally over.

The haunting image of a man stepping out wrapped in a blanket before revealing a stolen police gun will likely remain etched in Australia’s true crime memory for years to come.