Australia shooting suspect Dezi Freeman and dead officers identified as manhunt continues into second day

A suspect who fatally shot two officers and seriously injured a third in Australia has been identified, along with the victims, police have said. 

A manhunt is under way for Dezi Freeman, 56, who is heavily armed and experienced in wilderness survival skills, Victoria state's chief commissioner of police Mike Bush told reporters, as he urged local people to stay indoors.

The whereabouts of Freeman's wife and two children were initially unknown, but Mr Bush said they had visited a police station and spoken to officers late on Tuesday night.

Detective leading senior constable Neal Thompson, 59, and senior constable Vadim De Waart, 35, have been named by Victoria Police as the two officers fatally shot on Tuesday at Freeman's property.

Thompson was just days away from retiring when he was killed, the force said.

Another detective was shot, but his wounds are not life-threatening.

Ten armed officers tried to execute a search warrant in Porepunkah, a town of just over 1,000 people located 200 miles northeast of Melbourne.

The officers "were met by the offender and they were murdered in cold blood," the police chief said.

The armed man fled alone on foot into the nearby forest, where an intensive search for him continued through the night and into Wednesday.

Mr Bush would not elaborate on the search warrant for Freeman's property and said it was "too soon to say" if his attack on the officers was ideologically motivated.

But he told reporters that some of the officers who tried to execute the search warrant included members of a unit that investigates sexual offences and child abuse.

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Australian media widely reported that Freeman expressed so-called sovereign citizen beliefs, pointing to a 2021 video from Wangaratta Magistrates' Court in which he is seen representing himself and unsuccessfully trying to arrest a magistrate and police officers.

Members of self-proclaimed sovereign citizen movements use debunked legal theories to reject government authority.

In a 2024 finding from Victoria's Supreme Court, where Freeman attempted to challenge a lengthy suspension of his driver's licence, a judge noted that the man had "a history of unpleasant encounters with police officers".

In his submissions to the court, Freeman referred to the officers as "Nazis" and "terrorist thugs".

The chief commissioner would not say how much was known of Freeman's beliefs before the visit to his property.

Porepunkah, famous for its vineyards and beautiful views, is a gateway to Victoria's alpine tourist region.

On Tuesday, public buildings and the nearby airfield were shut, and the local school, with just over 100 students, was locked down for several hours before children and staff were permitted to leave.

"Be vigilant, keep yourselves safe," Mr Bush urged residents on Wednesday. "Please don't go outside if you don't need to."

Mr Bush said the suspect's knowledge of outdoor survival skills posed a "challenge" to authorities.

(c) Sky News 2025: Australia shooting suspect Dezi Freeman and dead officers identified as manhunt continues into second day