Australian police have intensified a large-scale search for a gunman following a fatal ambush in the rural town of Porepunkah, Victoria, where two officers were killed and another was seriously injured.
The attack occurred on Tuesday morning when ten officers arrived at a property to execute a search warrant linked to a firearms prohibition order. As they attempted to enter, the suspect opened fire, killing a 59-year-old detective and a 35-year-old senior constable. A third officer was also shot and underwent surgery but remains in stable condition.
The gunman, identified as Dezi Freeman, is reported to be associated with the “sovereign citizen” movement, which rejects government authority. He fled on foot into the surrounding bushland, prompting a widespread manhunt involving special operations officers, helicopters, and sniffer dogs. Authorities are also seeking Freeman’s wife and children, whose whereabouts are currently unknown.
Residents of Porepunkah have been urged to stay indoors, while schools, public facilities, and the local airfield have been temporarily closed as a precaution.
The incident has shocked Australia, a country where fatal shootings of police officers are rare due to strict gun control laws introduced after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. The tragedy draws parallels with a 2022 incident in Queensland, raising national concern over the growing threat of violence linked to extremist ideologies.
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