Overview

• Two officers were shot dead and a third was hospitalised as police served a search warrant at a Porepunkah property on Tuesday.
• The suspect, Dezi Freeman — formerly Desmond Filby — is described as a self‑proclaimed sovereign citizen with a history of anti‑police rhetoric.
• Victoria Police say Freeman is heavily armed, familiar with the terrain, and capable of surviving in the bush, prompting a large search with helicopters, dogs, tactical units and armored vehicles.
• Residents near Porepunkah and Mount Buffalo National Park have been urged to stay indoors or avoid the area as access points are closed during the ongoing operation.
• Security officials and researchers link the case to a growing anti‑authority movement in Australia, citing ASIO warnings on issue‑motivated extremism, AFP concerns about violence, and the 2022 Wieambilla killings as precedent.