Two police officers were fatally shot and a third seriously injured as officers attempted to serve a search warrant on Aug. 26 at the rural property of fugitive Dezi Freeman in Porepunkah, Victoria, authorities said, touching off a manhunt that has deployed almost 500 personnel and entered its third week.
Police have said the warrant related to historic sexual‑assault allegations involving a young girl during a family outing to a waterhole on Mount Buffalo behind Freeman’s property. The Daily Mail reported new details of the allegation and published footage it said showed a 27‑minute standoff between officers and Freeman before he fled into nearby bushland.
According to the Daily Mail, which said it viewed the footage, ten officers in plainclothes and uniform arrived at Freeman’s property to execute the warrant. The outlet reported that officers warned those inside a bus that they had a search warrant, and that Freeman — who has described himself as a sovereign citizen and, according to friends, a self‑styled naturist — erupted when told the warrant related to a sexual‑assault complaint involving the girl.
In the footage quoted by the newspaper, an officer is heard saying, "We have got a search warrant right here. Come out and have a look at it. Come out and talk to us Dez, we are not going away." The Daily Mail reported Freeman responding, "Oh for f*** sake, what bulls***," and accusing officers of "terrorising" him and "trespassing." The outlet said Freeman’s wife and a two‑year‑old child were inside the bus during the exchange.
Friends of Freeman told the Daily Mail the alleged sexual‑assault incident occurred years earlier when he took his children and their friend on a hike to a waterhole on Mount Buffalo. The friends said Freeman removed his clothing and swam naked in front of his sons and the girl; the girl later told her parents and ultimately filed an official complaint to police, the newspaper reported. Police have not released details of the allegation publicly.
Victoria Police announced a large‑scale response after the shooting. Senior Constable Vadim de Waart‑Hottart, 35, and Detective Neal Thompson, 59, died while attempting to serve the warrant, police said. A third officer was seriously injured. Police allege Freeman shot the officers before fleeing into bushland; he has not been located.
Since the Aug. 26 shooting, police said they have searched more than 100 properties in surrounding towns, received hundreds of public tips and deployed nearly 500 officers, trackers and specialist units. Authorities have offered a A$1 million reward for information leading to Freeman’s arrest, and local and state resources remain engaged in the search.
Police said they had approached the property with a large team because of Freeman’s history of anti‑authority views and an apparent unwillingness to comply with conventional norms. The Daily Mail reported that officers believed Freeman had a homemade shotgun concealed in the bus, and that he barricaded himself inside with family members before escaping into the bush within about 30 minutes of officers’ arrival.
Victoria Police urged anyone with information about Freeman’s whereabouts to contact law enforcement. The investigation remains active and officers continue to canvass the area and pursue leads, authorities said.