Australian town in shock as police officers killed, manhunt underway

Porepunkah, a small town in the Australian Alps, has been thrown into chaos after two police officers were shot dead on Tuesday, sparking a massive manhunt for a heavily armed suspect.

Once known for its wineries, bushwalking, and quiet community life, Porepunkah is now overrun with police helicopters, armored vehicles, and officers searching for the man they say ambushed them in cold blood.

The suspect, described as a "sovereign citizen" with a history of anti-government beliefs, remains at large in the dense bushland surrounding the town.

Police officers had arrived at Dezi Freeman's property on the outskirts of Porepunkah with a search warrant reportedly linked to a sex crimes investigation. Within minutes, Detective Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart were shot dead.

Another officer was critically injured and is recovering in hospital.

Freeman, who is legally known as Desmond Filby, escaped into the surrounding bush armed with multiple firearms, including an illegal homemade gun and at least one weapon allegedly taken from the slain officers.

"This is exactly the sort of thing that we've been fearing," said Joe McIntyre, a researcher who has studied anti-government groups in Australia.

Residents described the scene as terrifying.

Emily White, who runs a caravan park with her family, recalled the moment authorities alerted them.

"I got a knock on my door from one of our workers saying that there's an active shooter. I said, 'What? You're lying, you're joking.' We're such a small community, and we'll leave our cars unlocked, and we'll leave our front doors open. Nothing like this ever happens," she said.

Freeman, 56, had lived quietly in the town for years but was known locally for his sovereign citizen beliefs.

These anti-authoritarian conspiracy theorists reject government authority and the law, often using pseudo-legal arguments to justify their actions.

Misty-Rose, a local business owner, said there was a small cluster of like-minded individuals in the area.

Freeman had previously protested outside a courthouse in Myrtleford after a failed treason case against the state's leader, raising suspicions among townspeople.

The attack drew comparisons to the 2022 Wieambilla shooting in Queensland, where two officers were also killed by sovereign citizen extremists. Residents, including White, expressed fear that similar tragedies could have been prevented.

"These police officers went to work… just to check on someone, and now they're not coming home," she said.

Authorities have stressed that the manhunt is ongoing. Victoria Police Commissioner Mike Bush declined to comment on lessons learned from past incidents, citing the early stage of the investigation, and said the focus remains on locating Freeman.

Experts warn that sovereign citizen groups are not just isolated extremists but part of a growing anti-government movement.

McIntyre said, "Once you start chopping and choosing which laws you're going to obey… you're starting to really abandon those core ideas that a democracy is built on. It's not many steps further to say, 'Why should I obey norms about violence or norms about gun ownership,' or any of these things."

The Porepunkah community remains on edge as law enforcement continues the hunt for Freeman, while questions grow over how Australia handles rising numbers of anti-authoritarian conspiracy believers.