An enormous search effort is underway in Victoria after two police officers were fatally shot while carrying out a warrant near Porepunkah, a normally quiet township now turned into the epicenter of Australia’s biggest-ever policing operation.
The incident occurred on August 26, 2025, when officers arrived at a remote rural address. Investigators allege that Dezi Freeman, also known as Desmond Filby, opened fire as police approached. Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart, 35, were killed in the line of duty, while a colleague was left with serious injuries. Freeman managed to escape into surrounding bushland.
Since then, the search has expanded into a massive deployment. More than 125 elite officers, supported by specialist teams flown in from other states and New Zealand, have been scouring the alpine wilderness. Search units are negotiating perilous terrain—dense forests, steep gorges, rivers, and caves—while checking derelict huts and disused mineshafts. Despite weeks of effort, police report no verified sightings of the fugitive.
Authorities are considering several scenarios: that Freeman remains in hiding in the high country, that he may be relying on outside assistance, or that he has not survived the ordeal. He is regarded as heavily armed and a serious threat to anyone who encounters him.
In the immediate aftermath of the shootings, access to Mount Buffalo National Park was shut down and movement around Porepunkah was tightly controlled. While some restrictions have now eased, the community remains under constant watch. Businesses say tourism has plummeted, and residents describe living with ongoing tension and uncertainty.
The Victorian government has announced a $1 million reward for information leading to Freeman’s capture, with more than 1,100 public tips submitted so far.
For Victoria Police, the deaths of Thompson and de Waart-Hottart have left a profound scar, drawing tributes from across the country. As the manhunt stretches on, Porepunkah continues to live under the shadow of a tragedy that has triggered the largest tactical response in the nation’s history.
