Porepunkah shooting: Two officers dead and another wounded after shooting at High Country property, Victoria, Australia

[Old Soul]

“Mr Freeman described himself as a disability pensioner but said he was once a professional photographer — a job which helped him sponsored his wife to come to Australia from the Philippines.

He revealed his wife was suffering from anxiety after the birth of their child and that all their children were being homeschooled.”

I really hope his wife and children can one day live free of his brainwashing and volatility.

Suspected Porepunkah gunman complained of losing gun licence last year

Dezi Freeman, the 56-year-old Porepunkah man wanted over the fatal shooting of two police officers, last year complained to a court that he had his firearms licence cancelled and lost membership to his gun club.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Detechtive]

8m ago04.05 BST

Nino Bucci
Suspect did not own the property where shooting took place

The suspected Porepunkah gunman, Dezi Freeman, did not own the property where the shootings took place.

Guardian Australia has been unable to speak with the owners, a local couple.

It is unclear if the couple had been living on the property with Freeman and his family, but they were not there at the time of the shootings.

Attempts to contact the owners via social media and family members have been unsuccessful. Property records show that they sold a separate property in a nearby regional town earlier this year.

A police helicopter lands at an operations centre at Feathertop Winery, just north of Porepunkah. Photograph: Stuart Walmsley
The couple had operated a business selling chestnuts, and appeared at local farmers markets.

A man who also claimed to live at the property had parked his car over the driveway on Wednesday, preventing access beyond a front gate.

The car had a note on the dashboard that read “left car here to prevent reporters to access private land. I live here” and included a phone number.

The man declined to comment, but when asked if he had spoken to the owners of the property responded that “everything was under control”.

Loud bangs heard near rural Australian property as suspect remains on run – as it happened

All the days news as it unfolded

www.theguardian.com

He sold the property to the new owners, and kept living on it.

 

[Detechtive]

Mr Bush said they had done a risk assessment but police weren't expecting that type of response.
What did they expect when they swarmed the property of a person who vehemently hates them and has declared war on them - Devonshire tea and cupcakes?

They sent 10 police officers for protection - do you know how unusual that is? That is a huge police response to serve a simple warrant or prohibition order. That is about 2.5 to 3 x more than they would usually send. They did take precauations.

They didn't know this crazy man would be set up in his bus with sniper rifles waiting for them!

 

[SLouTh]

“Mr Freeman described himself as a disability pensioner but said he was once a professional photographer — a job which helped him sponsored his wife to come to Australia from the Philippines.

He revealed his wife was suffering from anxiety after the birth of their child and that all their children were being homeschooled.”

I really hope his wife and children can one day live free of his brainwashing and volatility.

Suspected Porepunkah gunman complained of losing gun licence last year

Dezi Freeman, the 56-year-old Porepunkah man wanted over the fatal shooting of two police officers, last year complained to a court that he had his firearms licence cancelled and lost membership to his gun club.

www.abc.net.au

Quite sad really for his wife and children, one is only a baby ….

As the search continued, the spotlight turned to Freeman's wife, who friends say had been 'isolated and living her life in fear' of her domineering husband.

More here ….

Wife's disturbing warning about alleged cop killer as police close in

Mother-of-three Mali Freeman, married to the accused gunman Dezi Freeman for more than 20 years, is said to be terrified he will never surrender, putting more lives at risk, including his own.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Trooper]

If he turns his phone on, and SOv Cits love to talk, Dez loves the sound of his own voice, the clever Mr Sorrell from VICPOL trackers will be on to it!!

 

[Detechtive]

If he turns his phone on, and SOv Cits love to talk, Dez loves the sound of his own voice, the clever Mr Sorrell from VICPOL trackers will be on to it!!

Probably has some military like radio communications. IMO

 

[Detechtive]

I really hope that the government will seriously look into this extremist cult of domestic terrorists and disrupt this plague spreading in our country.

Pre-pandemic estimates by law enforcement and civil watchdog groups who track extremist activity suggested there were several hundred thousand adherents in the USA. Their current numbers are likely to be higher but are difficult to quantify. In Australia, sovereign citizen activity has been reported in all jurisdictions but is more established in Western Australia, Queensland and NSW, and their numbers have expanded in Victoria since the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, his Honour Magistrate Mark Douglass reported that the NSW Local Court had dealt with over 300 cases in a six-month period, blowing out court lists.8 Sovereign citizens have also attempted to enter and influence federal politics9 and local government.10

There is compelling evidence that sovereign citizen numbers are increasing, both in Australia and abroad, reflecting the current political and economic climate. These individuals engage in a range of activities from passive rejection of government authority and paper warfare, to acts of serious violence. While there is no typical profile for a sovereign citizen, they all share a sense of alienation and deep distrust of government and so-called agents of the State.

Sovereign citizens adhere, to a greater or lesser extent, to eccentric theories. While their statements are illogical, if not frankly bizarre, they are seldom delusional or have any diagnosable major mental illness. However, their ideology can attract vulnerable, mentally ill individuals. Establishing fitness to stand trial and differentiating presentations that are entirely consistent with sovereign citizen beliefs from those that suggest an underlying mental disorder may require assessment by a mental health professional conversant with this subculture. While preventative strategies are key, concerns for personal safety are an indication to seek further advice.

What do judicial officers need to know about sovereign citizens?

Professor Michele PathéMBBS(Hons), MD, FRANZCP, Forensic Psychiatrist, Adjunct Professor, Centre for Forensic Behavioural Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne. The number of people appearing in courts who identify as “sovereign citizens” appears to be on the rise, particularly...

www.judcom.nsw.gov.au

 

[Detechtive]

dbm.

 

[Detechtive]

<modsnip: Quoted post was removed>

He ran off into the bush after executing two (nearly 3) police officers because he was camped in his bus with sniper rifles on the property laying in wait for them. When the police retreated due to him firing at and killing officers (as per their training) he ran off into the bush.

Police don't need a warrant to search for firearms in NSW, Victoria or since 2025 in QLD under 'Firearm Prohibition Orders'. The fact the police thought you had them is a worry, the fact they sent six cops is more of a worry.

IMO

Firearm prohibition orders

Learn about the Firearm Prohibition Orders scheme, including information about restrictions.

www.police.vic.gov.au

 

[SouthAussie]

A Victoria police spokesperson has given the ABC an update on the search.

Here's what they told us:

The search for suspected Porepunkah gunman Dezi Freeman is ongoing throughout the night with "strong numbers of police in some areas".

For operation purposes, police did not disclose the exact number of police on the ground.

Police encourage local residents to stay inside.

Police name slain officers as teams search for suspected gunman — as it happened

A massive search continues for a Porepunkah man who allegedly shot and killed two police officers at his property in rural Victoria.

www.abc.net.au

 

[SouthAussie]

Crown casino


Wodonga

https://www.facebook.com/eyewatchwangaratta/posts/1198525512313851

Police name slain officers as teams search for suspected gunman — as it happened

A massive search continues for a Porepunkah man who allegedly shot and killed two police officers at his property in rural Victoria.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Bats]

Its warmer inside a fridge than in Porepunkah. Very difficult conditions to be working in.

 

[Chimera]

<modsnip: Quoted post was removed>

He ran off into the bush after executing two (nearly 3) police officers because he was camped in his bus with sniper rifles on the property laying in wait for them. When the police retreated due to him firing at and killing officers (as per their training) he ran off into the bush.

Police don't need a warrant to search for firearms in NSW, Victoria or since 2025 in QLD under 'Firearm Prohibition Orders'. The fact the police thought you had them is a worry, the fact they sent six cops is more of a worry.

IMO

Firearm prohibition orders

Learn about the Firearm Prohibition Orders scheme, including information about restrictions.

www.police.vic.gov.au

Bolding mine.
Well I am learning more about this situation than I expected.
Agreed with you about the response from LE.
Ambushed would be another term !
How sad.

Rest in eternal peace, Sr. Constable Neal Thompson, and Sr. Constable Vadim De Waart.
My utmost condolences to their loved ones.
Hoping the perp is caught soon !!
Imo.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

ABC

Manhunt continues for suspected gunman in Porepunkah | 7.30​

 

[Chimera]

Crown casino
View attachment 611269

Wodonga
View attachment 611270

https://www.facebook.com/eyewatchwangaratta/posts/1198525512313851

Police name slain officers as teams search for suspected gunman — as it happened

A massive search continues for a Porepunkah man who allegedly shot and killed two police officers at his property in rural Victoria.

www.abc.net.au

Thanks for the links, @SouthAussie !

Also from the last link :

Police name slain officers as teams search for suspected gunman — as it happened

A massive search continues for a Porepunkah man who allegedly shot and killed two police officers at his property in rural Victoria.

www.abc.net.au

"... The suspected gunman Dezi Freeman remains at large after shooting and killing two police officers and injuring another in Porepunkah, Victoria yesterday.
The 56-year-old accused gunman claims to be a sovereign citizen and is on the run in the region 300km north-east of Melbourne.
Police have not had any confirmed sightings of the alleged gunman and say he is an experienced bushman who knows the dense bushland area better than authorities..."
Red emphasis mine.

Those who believe they're above the law, are dangerous people.
From the link & info. regarding this perp.

The same with the Kansas slayings of Jillian Kelly and Veronica Butler:

1 year since the murders of Jilian Kelley and Veronica Butler

It has been one year since the murders of two Kansas mothers, Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley.

www.newschannel10.com

"..... Research into sovereign citizens has found they have long been active in the U.S. and other countries. At the core of their beliefs is the denial of the government’s legitimacy. They commonly do not register their vehicles, acquire driver’s licenses or car insurance, or pay taxes. And they pose a significant threat to the public....."
Pbm.

 

[Sillybilly]

ADMIN NOTE:

Some posts/responses have been removed.

WS is victim friendly and LE friendly (unless there is distinct information that warrants otherwise).

To somehow blame these officers for their own deaths is NOT victim friendly. That is akin to blaming a rape victim because "her dress was to short" etc etc. Don't go there.

Thank you.

 

[drsleuth]

'Only good cop is a dead cop': What Dezi Freeman's online posts reveal

Accused Porepunkah gunman Dezi Freeman's commenting history on Instagram shows a strong resistance to police authority, including mentioning dead and incinerated police.

www.abc.net.au

Accused gunman Dezi Freeman wrote about dead police on Instagram​

By ABC NEWS Verify's Michael Workman, Matt Martino and Georgie Hewson

'Only good cop is a dead cop'​

The Instagram account does not carry Mr Freeman's name, but ABC NEWS Verify has established it as belonging to him.

The account commented on another account's post on December 1, 2023, with an all-caps tirade that labelled police "the new Gestapo" and that they should be "preferably incinerated".

ABC NEWS Verify was able to establish that the account, with the handle "freenedi", belongs to Mr Freeman because the account's profile image also featured in a post from the Parks Victoria X account published 11 years ago, crediting it to "Dezi Freeman".

Although the original post featuring Mr Freeman's photo has since been deleted, cached search results reveal it to be the same image used on the Instagram account, as revealed by cached Google search results.

Other signals of Mr Freeman's descent into pseudo-legal ideas are found elsewhere on the internet.

 

[windrower]

I really hope that the government will seriously look into this extremist cult of domestic terrorists and disrupt this plague spreading in our country.

Pre-pandemic estimates by law enforcement and civil watchdog groups who track extremist activity suggested there were several hundred thousand adherents in the USA. Their current numbers are likely to be higher but are difficult to quantify. In Australia, sovereign citizen activity has been reported in all jurisdictions but is more established in Western Australia, Queensland and NSW, and their numbers have expanded in Victoria since the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, his Honour Magistrate Mark Douglass reported that the NSW Local Court had dealt with over 300 cases in a six-month period, blowing out court lists.8 Sovereign citizens have also attempted to enter and influence federal politics9 and local government.10

There is compelling evidence that sovereign citizen numbers are increasing, both in Australia and abroad, reflecting the current political and economic climate. These individuals engage in a range of activities from passive rejection of government authority and paper warfare, to acts of serious violence. While there is no typical profile for a sovereign citizen, they all share a sense of alienation and deep distrust of government and so-called agents of the State.

Sovereign citizens adhere, to a greater or lesser extent, to eccentric theories. While their statements are illogical, if not frankly bizarre, they are seldom delusional or have any diagnosable major mental illness. However, their ideology can attract vulnerable, mentally ill individuals. Establishing fitness to stand trial and differentiating presentations that are entirely consistent with sovereign citizen beliefs from those that suggest an underlying mental disorder may require assessment by a mental health professional conversant with this subculture. While preventative strategies are key, concerns for personal safety are an indication to seek further advice.

What do judicial officers need to know about sovereign citizens?

Professor Michele PathéMBBS(Hons), MD, FRANZCP, Forensic Psychiatrist, Adjunct Professor, Centre for Forensic Behavioural Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne. The number of people appearing in courts who identify as “sovereign citizens” appears to be on the rise, particularly...

www.judcom.nsw.gov.au

I agree with the danger these groups present.

Here in the USA, a group of “sovereign citizens” in the state of Oklahoma killed a young mother and another lady with her who was to supervise an exchange of children involved in a custody dispute.

One of the murderers is a grandmother to the children.

Horrific murders.

WS has a thread for the case, but I’m not sure I’ve linked it properly.

OK, Veronica Butler 27 & Jilian Kelley 39, Vehicle Abandoned, Texas County, 30 Mar 2024 #7 *Arrests*​

 

[Marg944]

Live: Manhunt for alleged Porepunkah gunman enters third day​

“Dezi Freeman remains at large after allegedly shooting and killing two police officers and injuring another in Porepunkah, Victoria.”

Live: 'If Dezi Freeman is watching this, ring triple-0': Police offer surrender plan

The suspected gunman — 56-year-old Porepunkah man Dezi Freeman — has been on the run since Tuesday after entering alpine bushland on foot, and is believed to be heavily armed.

www.abc.net.au

 

[drsleuth]

Live: 'If Dezi Freeman is watching this, ring triple-0': Police offer surrender plan

The suspected gunman — 56-year-old Porepunkah man Dezi Freeman — has been on the run since Tuesday after entering alpine bushland on foot, and is believed to be heavily armed.

www.abc.net.au

Key Event
5m ago

Porepunkah remains in lockdown​

By Mikaela Ortolan​

ABC reporter Leanne Wong is outside the command post near Porepunkah.

She's told ABC News Breakfast that the town remains in a state of lockdown and the search will resume when the sun rises this morning.

"Overnight a lot of the major road blocks around town were lifted to let people come and go but they're expected to be returned into place once the search gets well underway," she says.

"Yeterday a lot of the search centred around Mr Freeman's property near Mount Buffalo Road. A police chopper was circling around there for hours while officers from the K9 unit and special opperations scoured the bushland looking for any trace of Mr Freeman."

Wong says conditions overnight have been "miserable" with heavy rain and freezing temperatures.

"That being said, we know that Dezi Freeman is an experienced suvivalist, he is an outdoors man and police have conceeded that search for him will be difficult," she says.