Dezi Freeman Killed by Police After Prolonged Manhunt in Australia

Mon Mar 30 2026 09:29:54 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

After seven months on the run, Dezi Freeman, a double-murderer and conspiracy theorist, was shot dead by Australian police during a standoff at a rural property in Victoria.

Australian police have reported the death of Dezi Freeman, a fugitive who had been wanted for killing two police officers. Following a lengthy seven-month manhunt, Freeman was shot dead during an hours-long standoff at a rural property. Freeman, a self-proclaimed sovereign citizen and conspiracy theorist, was believed to have been armed and refused to surrender despite police efforts.

Australian police have shot and killed Dezi Freeman after the double-murderer spent seven months on the run.

A well-known conspiracy theorist, Freeman gunned down two police officers on his property in the small Victorian town of Porepunkah last August, before fleeing into dense bushland and evading extensive searches.

Victoria Police say a man was shot dead after an hours-long standoff at a rural property in the state's north-east on Monday morning. Chief Commissioner Mike Bush stated that the man is believed to be Freeman, 56, though formal identification is still underway.

Today an evil man is dead, said Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan. It's over. Police say they surrounded a building described as a cross between a shipping container and a long caravan on the rural property around 5:30 local time.

After three hours of negotiations, a man believed to be Freeman came outside and was shot dead. Bush mentioned that Freeman emerged wrapped in a blanket and armed with a gun, possibly one taken from one of the slain officers back in August.

Freeman was a self-described sovereign citizen, part of an anti-government movement that rejects authority and laws. His anti-authority beliefs were well-documented in online posts, and local reports suggested that his views had hardened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The deaths of Freeman's victims, two police officers, had prompted a wide-scale search and an investigation into his associates, as authorities believe he received aid while on the run.

Despite the resolution of the manhunt, many in the community still feel deep loss and trauma from the events, with comments from the Police Association of Victoria highlighting that Freeman's death, while significant, does not replace what has been lost.

Freeman's history of conflict with authority serves as a stark reminder of the challenges surrounding mental health and extremist views within communities. Investigators will now focus on determining if anyone else assisted him during his time in hiding.