Dezi Freeman’s seven-month manhunt and fatal shootout by police in Victoria’s northeast
Consensus Summary
Dezi Freeman, a self-described sovereign citizen, was shot dead by police on Monday, August 26, 2024, after a seven-month manhunt following the fatal shootings of two police officers and the wounding of a third during a warrant execution at his Porepunkah property on August 26, 2025. Freeman was found in a converted shipping container at a remote property in Thologolong, approximately 150–200km northeast of Porepunkah, where he was last seen fleeing into the bush. The standoff lasted about three hours before police opened fire after Freeman allegedly presented a firearm, believed to be stolen from one of the officers he killed. The manhunt involved over 450 officers and multiple jurisdictions, with a $1 million reward offered for information leading to his arrest. Police chief commissioner Mike Bush confirmed Freeman was given multiple opportunities to surrender peacefully but refused, and the investigation into his death is ongoing, with a focus on identifying any accomplices who may have helped him evade capture. Freeman’s death brings closure to the families of the slain officers, Neal Thompson and Vadim De Waart-Hottart, but questions remain about how he evaded police for so long and whether he received assistance during his time on the run. The property where Freeman was found was owned by Richard Sutherland, who had no knowledge of Freeman’s presence and was unaware his land was used as a hideout. The investigation will also examine Freeman’s movements and potential help from others, as police believe it would have been difficult for him to survive alone in the bush for seven months.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Dezi Freeman (56, formerly Desmond Filby) was shot dead by police on Monday, August 26, 2024, at a rural property in Thologolong, Victoria, after a seven-month manhunt following the August 26, 2025, shooting deaths of two police officers in Porepunkah.
- Freeman allegedly killed Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson (59) and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart (34) on August 26, 2025, at his Porepunkah property while police executed a search warrant for historical sexual offences; a third officer was seriously injured.
- The manhunt involved over 450 Victoria Police officers, Australian Defence Force members, Australian Federal Police, and officers from other states, making it the largest manhunt in Victoria’s history.
- Freeman was found in a converted shipping container at a property near Murray River Road, Thologolong, approximately 150–200km northeast of Porepunkah, where he was last seen fleeing into bushland.
- Police received over 2,000 pieces of information during the manhunt, and a $1 million reward was offered for information leading to Freeman’s arrest.
- The standoff with Freeman lasted approximately three hours before he was shot dead shortly after 8:30 AM on Monday, August 26, 2024, after allegedly presenting a firearm to police officers.
- The property where Freeman was found was owned by Richard Sutherland, who had moved to Tasmania and was unaware Freeman was living there.
- Freeman was allegedly using a firearm stolen from one of the officers he killed during the August 2025 shootings.
- The state coroner attended the scene, and the investigation into Freeman’s death is being overseen by Victoria Police’s Professional Standards Command and Homicide Squad.
- Freeman was a self-described ‘sovereign citizen’ with a history of hostility toward police and the judicial system, and he had previously been involved in disputes over land access and public protests.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Freeman’s wife, Mali, reportedly told police her last words to him were ‘I’ll see you in heaven’ before he vanished into the bush.
- Police chief commissioner Mike Bush suggested Freeman was helped by others ‘in this escapade’ and hinted at a theory about Freeman’s activities in the 24–48 hours after the shootings, but did not share details publicly.
- The Guardian reported that Freeman’s family members did not respond to requests for comment on Monday.
- The Guardian noted that Freeman’s child sexual abuse allegations led to a warrant execution involving 10 officers, far more than usual, and questioned whether police had intelligence that Freeman could be armed despite his cancelled firearms licence.
- A Filipino couple was reportedly harbouring Freeman on a property in nearby Thologolong, though police sources denied this and stated no one else was at the property at the time of the shootout.
- Ashley Drummond, a local resident, described the property where Freeman was found as ‘quite amazing’ that Freeman was located so far from Porepunkah.
- Bright local Tim said he hoped there would be a public inquiry to uncover how the situation was ‘not handled better’ and why Freeman was still at large.
- ABC reported that Freeman’s son, Koah, posted a scathing social media message criticizing online reactions to his father’s death, stating he was grieving while others celebrated.
- ABC noted that Freeman’s friend Ray Kompe, a local bushman, described Freeman as ‘a bloke with a lot of resolve’ but also said he ‘got into the wrong crowd’ over time.
- Criminal psychologist Dr Tim Watson-Munro stated Freeman ‘had sheer and utter contempt for law and order’ and ‘chose not to surrender’ despite being given opportunities.
- Newscomaau reported that Freeman’s son, Koah, wrote on social media that he was not defending his father’s actions but was upset by online reactions, stating ‘to you, my father was a cop killer, but to me that’s still my father’.
- The article mentioned that Freeman’s property in Porepunkah was similarly strewn with rubbish and equipment, suggesting he lived in squalid conditions before his disappearance.
- The Age reported that Freeman’s hideout was discovered after a tip-off received last week, and police had surveilled the property for days before the confrontation.
- The property was described as having ‘newly fitted spinning air ducts’ on the roofs of the containers, suggesting recent modifications to make the space habitable.
- The Age noted that Freeman’s death was confirmed by a negotiator who spoke with him and identified him through statements only Freeman would know.
- The article detailed that Freeman’s container had a ‘new ladder’ placed near the ducts, and police are checking where the units were purchased for potential CCTV evidence.
- The Age reported that Freeman was living in a ‘squalid camp’ with a gas-powered camping stove, pots, and solar panels, and that the property was near a recent bushfire that came within a few hundred metres of his hideout.
- The SMH described the property as ‘a squalid camp without running water or electricity’ and noted that Freeman was living in a ‘collection of shipping containers and portable houses set among what one local described as “a whole heap of crap”.’
- The article mentioned that Freeman’s hideout was near a bushfire that burned through 120,000 hectares, and that firefighters had been near the property during the blaze.
- The SMH reported that Freeman’s property owner, Richard Sutherland, had moved to Tasmania due to illness and was unaware Freeman was living on his land.
- SBS reported that police used ‘every tactical option’ to encourage Freeman to surrender peacefully, including non-lethal baton rounds and tear gas, before he was shot dead.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian and ABC both report Freeman was found in a shipping container near Thologolong, but the Guardian mentions a ‘cross between a shipping container and a caravan,’ while ABC and The Age describe it as a ‘converted shipping container’ with no mention of a caravan.
- The Guardian and ABC both report Freeman was allegedly using a firearm stolen from one of the officers he killed, but The Age and Newscomaau do not explicitly state this detail in their descriptions of the confrontation.
- The Guardian reports Freeman’s wife, Mali, was cleared of charges of ‘indictable obstruction of police’ earlier, while ABC and The Age do not mention this specific detail.
- The Guardian and ABC both report Freeman was last seen fleeing into bushland near Mount Buffalo, but The Age and The Guardian mention Freeman was found near Walwa, which is closer to the NSW border and about 150km from Porepunkah, while ABC initially reports Thologolong as the location (which is near Walwa).
- The Guardian and ABC both report Freeman was found in a remote property with no other people present, but The Age suggests Freeman may have had help getting to the property and that ‘someone must have worked out there’s no one living there’ and assisted him with supplies.
Source Articles
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Dezi Freeman: what we know about the three-hour siege that led to the fugitive's death – video
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What we know about the shooting of Dezi Freeman - podcast
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Inside the squalid bush encampment where Dezi Freeman died
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Dezi Freeman’s final days and the clues that could lead police to his helpers
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