6 h. ago Authorities warn locals against aiding fugitive Dezi Freeman as manhunt enters seventh day

Self-proclaimed ‘sovereign citizen’ remains at large and is believed to be armed and ‘very dangerous’

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10 h. ago Flurry of loud bangs heard on the outskirts of town where alleged cop killer Dezi Freeman is thought to be hiding

More to follow.

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32 h. ago The sinister way cop killer suspect Dezi Freeman slipped past police roadblocks and managed to evade capture

Ddezi Freeman, 56, remains on the run after he allegedly gunned down Detective Neal Thompson, and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart at his property in Porepunkah on Tuesday morning.

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56 h. ago Man, 61, arrested in alpine hunt for suspected Porepunkah gunman Dezi Freeman

Asked whether man, 61, was associated with Freeman, a Victoria Police spokesperson said that line of inquiry would form part of interview by detectivesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA 61-year-old man has been arrested and interviewed by detectives investigating the whereabouts of a man accused of killing two police officers.The hunt for alleged gunman Dezi Freeman is in its fifth day with hundreds of police continuing to scour Victoria’s high country wilderness amid strong winds and chilly conditions. Continue reading...

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3 d. ago Rise of sovereign citizen movement a challenge to Australia’s world

Pseudo-legal conspiracy theories that deny the authority of the state are an increasing issue in firearm disputesAustralia was once the gold standard for gun safety. Experts say it’s losing controlWhy the gun lobby says it’s ‘winning’ – Full Story podcastRead more from our investigation into gun control in AustraliaIn 2024, the suspected Porepunkah gunman Dezi Freeman told the Victorian supreme court his firearm licence had been taken.“I had my firearms licences cancelled and lost my club membership,” Freeman wrote in a submission. In the hearing, he sought to challenge the cancellation of his driver’s licence. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Porepunkah’s alleged police killer vanished into wild alpine bush – leaving locals behind in the mess

Dezi Freeman’s anti-government views and bushcraft skills were well-known in the small Victorian town before he allegedly killed two officersGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIt didn’t take long for Dezi Freeman to allegedly shoot and kill two police officers before he vanished into the bush in the Victorian high country, seemingly without a trace.That brief moment in time launched a manhunt that has involved hundreds of police officers from all over the country, some of Australia’s elite special forces, a visit from the premier and, as one local described it, a media “circus” in the small town of Porepunkah, in Victoria’s north east. Continue reading...

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3 d. ago Porepunkah police shooting: wife of alleged killer Dezi Freeman arrested in late

Victoria police arrested and interviewed a 42-year-old woman and a 15-year-old boy, releasing them ‘pending further inquiries’What we know so far about the Victoria police shooting and suspect Dezi FreemanReport: Porepunkah suspect used to spy on my family with drones, says former neighbourGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPolice overnight arrested the wife of Porepunkah shooting suspect Dezi Freeman, interviewing and releasing the 42-year-old woman and a 15-year-old boy “pending further inquiries” as the manhunt in Victoria’s high country continues.On the fourth day of the massive police operation to find Freeman, who on Tuesday morning allegedly shot and killed two police officers and injured a third, police again appealed directly to the fugitive to turn himself in and bring the search to a safe end. Continue reading...

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3 d. ago Top cop urges suspected police killer to 'lay down your firearms and give yourself up' as he vows hundreds of officers won't leave the area until they catch him

Live updates: Dezi Freeman, 56, remains on the run after he allegedly shot and killed two police officers at a property near the Victorian town of Porepunkah on Tuesday morning.

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3 d. ago Dramatic police raid on Porepunkah home as Freeman's wife and teenage son are ordered to 'come out with your hands in the air'

Live updates: Dezi Freeman, 56, remains on the run after he allegedly shot and killed two police officers at a property near the Victorian town of Porepunkah on Tuesday morning.

Events

4 d. ago Victoria premier calls on suspected Porepunkah shooter to surrender as search enters third day

Manhunt continues amid harsh alpine conditions and heightened community vigilance

Politics

4 d. ago Porepunkah shooting: Victoria police ‘throwing everything’ at manhunt in ‘severe weather’ for shooting suspect

Police say heavily armed suspect has not been seen as they continue to scour bushland around rural property where two police officers were killedVictoria police shooting live updatesWho is Dezi Freeman? Porepunkah shooting suspect has association with ‘sovereign citizen’ ideas and called police ‘terrorist thugs’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPolice have urged Porepunkah shooting suspect Dezi Freeman to call triple zero and surrender as their “protracted” manhunt in difficult terrain enters its third evening.Victoria police said on Thursday they had conducted searches on multiple properties near the rural township, warning anyone who harboured the alleged gunman would be prosecuted. Continue reading...

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4 d. ago Two loud bangs heard near search area during dramatic manhunt for alleged double cop killer Dezi Freeman

Fresh details have emerged about why police attended Dezi Freeman's property in Porepunkah on Tuesday morning when he opened fire and killed two officers.

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4 d. ago Top cop makes direct offer to fugitive accused of killing two officers

Fresh details have emerged about why police attended Dezi Freeman's property in Porepunkah on Tuesday morning when he opened fire and killed two officers.

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4 d. ago Shocking details emerge about child sex claims that led cops to property where 'sovereign citizen' allegedly killed two officers in bloody ambush: Live updates

Fresh details have emerged about why police attended Dezi Freeman's property in Porepunkah on Tuesday morning when he opened fire and killed two officers.

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4 d. ago The disgraceful conspiracy theory sovereign citizens are pushing after two cops were shot dead on rural property in Victoria

Dezi Freeman went on the run after being suspected of fatally shooting two officers at a property in Porepunkah, 300km northeast of Melbourne, on Tuesday.

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4 d. ago Porepunkah police shooting live updates: Victoria police ‘throwing everything’ at manhunt for suspect as search enters day three – latest news

Police officers allegedly shot dead on Tuesday identified as detective leading senior constable Neal Thompson and senior constable Vadim de Waart. Follow today’s news liveWho is Dezi Freeman? Porepunkah shooting suspect has association with ‘sovereign citizen’ ideas and called police ‘terrorist thugs’Slain police officers named as manhunt for alleged killer continuesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAlpine parts of Victoria saw a fresh blanket of snow overnight, with the Bureau of Meteorology warning one of the strongest and widespread cold outbreaks of the winter season will soon move across the state in the coming days.Helen Reid, a meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology, said snow is expected to be a big part of a cold weather system moving across south-eastern Australia. The system could dump large amounts of snow – up to half a metre – over Alpine mountains near the Victoria-NSW border. Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago Who is Dezi Freeman, suspected gunman on the run in rural Australia after two officers killed?

The 56-year-old ‘sovereign citizen’ once told a court he was a disability pensioner and claimed his family had been persecuted by the state

Events

5 d. ago In idyllic Porepunkah, a manhunt this huge feels ‘surreal’ – and the alleged killer could be anywhere

A peaceful Victoria town has been rocked by the fatal shootings of two police officers, leaving locals shuttered indoors and police scouring bushland for the suspectWho is Dezi Freeman? Porepunkah shooting suspect called police ‘terrorist thugs’ and tried to arrest magistrateHow a police search warrant at a rural Victorian property ended in a day of tragedyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIt would have been idyllic were it not for the sound of a police helicopter reverberating over the valley.By late afternoon on Wednesday the rain had slowed to a drizzle in Porepunkah. Mist curled around the foothills of Mt Buffalo. Cows and sheep grazed under a grey sky, unperturbed by the massive manhunt around them. Continue reading...

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5 d. ago Gun shots ring out on Victorian high country property in the hunt for alleged sovereign citizen cop killer

Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, 35, have been named as the officers killed by suspected gunman Dezi Freeman.

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5 d. ago Guns shots ring out on Victorian high country property in the hunt for alleged sovereign citizen cop killer

Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, 35, have been named as the officers killed by suspected gunman Dezi Freeman.

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