Overview

• Victoria Police identified the fallen officers as Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, 35.
• A third officer underwent surgery for lower-body wounds and is reported to be in a stable condition.
• Freeman is believed to be heavily armed, may have taken police firearms, and fled on foot into dense terrain where he is regarded as skilled in bushcraft.
• Detectives interviewed the suspect’s partner and children, who are accounted for, and police say he is believed to be acting alone.
• Officers executed a search warrant linked to historical sex-offence allegations; authorities note Freeman has professed sovereign-citizen beliefs, though motive remains undetermined.