Overview

• Police say ten officers arrived to execute a search warrant linked to historical sex offences when they were met with gunfire, killing a 59-year-old detective and a 35-year-old senior constable and seriously injuring a third officer.
• The suspect, 56-year-old Dezi Freeman, remains at large and is described as heavily armed after fleeing on foot into dense bushland where his bushcraft skills complicate the search.
• Hundreds of officers, helicopters, drones and tactical units are involved in an intensive operation, with a temporary no-fly zone over Porepunkah to protect police movements.
• Residents have been urged to stay indoors and avoid the area, public facilities were closed, and the suspect’s partner and children have been interviewed with no indication they were with him after the shooting.
• Freeman has previously described himself as a sovereign citizen, and national leaders warned about anti-state extremism as a security concern, though police say it is too early to determine motive.