30 th March 2026, Thologolong - Victoria,  One of the most intensive manhunts in Australian history has come to a violent conclusion this Monday. Dezi Freeman, the self-proclaimed sovereign citizen accused of murdering two police officers last August, was shot and killed by Victoria Police following a tense three-hour standoff at a remote property near the New South Wales border. The operation reached its climax at approximately 8:30 AM this Monday, at a rural address in Thologolong, roughly 100km from where Freeman first vanished. Special Operations Group officers had been surveilling the pr

30th March 2026, Thologolong - Victoria,

 One of the most intensive manhunts in Australian history has come to a violent conclusion this Monday. Dezi Freeman, the self-proclaimed sovereign citizen accused of murdering two police officers last August, was shot and killed by Victoria Police following a tense three-hour standoff at a remote property near the New South Wales border. The operation reached its climax at approximately 8:30 AM this Monday, at a rural address in Thologolong, roughly 100km from where Freeman first vanished. Special Operations Group officers had been surveilling the property, which featured a makeshift shelter described as a cross between a shipping container and a caravan for over 24 hours before making contact. According to Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush, officers appealed for Freeman to surrender peacefully during the pre-dawn hours. Instead, Freeman emerged from the structure cloaked in a blanket, which he dropped to present a firearm at police. Multiple officers opened fire, killing him at the scene. No police were injured in the exchange. Freeman also known as Desmond Filby, had been missing since August 26, 2025. He allegedly opened fire on a team of officers executing a search warrant at his Porepunkah home, killing Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart in the process.

Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart killed by Dezi Freeman on 26th August 2025

A third officer was seriously wounded during the initial ambush. Freeman, an experienced bushman with extremist anti-government views, then fled into the rugged terrain of the Mount Buffalo National Park. The ensuing search, dubbed Operation Summit, involved hundreds of specialist officers from every Australian jurisdiction and New Zealand, as well as assistance from the Australian Defence Force. While the immediate threat has been neutralized, the investigation is shifting toward how Freeman survived 216 days on the run. Police are currently investigating whether he was aided by local associates or members of the sovereign citizen movement. "We will track backwards from here to work out how long he has been here, and who helped him," Commissioner Bush stated, noting that any person found to have been complicit would be held accountable. The death of Dezi Freeman brings a grim sense of closure to a case that has haunted the Victorian Alpine region for over half a year. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan remarked that a dark shadow had finally been lifted from the community, though she acknowledged that for the families of the fallen officers, the pain remains. A formal coronial inquest and an investigation by the Professional Standards Command will now examine the full circumstances of the shooting.

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