Two Officers Killed, One Wounded in Fatal Australian Police Shooting; Manhunt Underway for Suspect
Two police officers were killed and one seriously wounded in a shooting during a search warrant execution at a rural Australian property, prompting a manhunt for suspect Dezi Freeman and community lockdowns.
Overview
- Two police officers were tragically killed and a third seriously wounded in a shooting at a rural property in Porepunkah, Australia, while attempting to execute a search warrant.
- The incident immediately launched a large-scale manhunt for suspect Dezi Freeman, who reportedly shot at ten armed officers and remains at large, believed to be armed.
- Authorities urged Porepunkah residents to shelter indoors, closing public buildings and a nearby airfield, while a local school was placed on lockdown before students were safely released.
- The national police union and the Victorian premier expressed profound shock and sadness over the officers' deaths, highlighting the rarity of such fatal shootings in Australia.
- This tragic event underscores the severe consequences of gun violence, particularly given Australia's strict gun laws, making such police fatalities exceptionally uncommon.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources cover this story neutrally, focusing on factual reporting of a manhunt for a suspect who killed two police officers. They present information from official police statements and court records, providing context on the suspect's alleged beliefs and past legal issues without injecting editorial bias or loaded language. The reporting maintains an objective tone throughout.
"Australian police are continuing a massive search for a heavily armed man suspected of shooting and killing two officers in a rural town."
BBC News"The officers were met by the offender and they were murdered in cold blood."
Associated Press"The situation in Porepunkah has left the community in deep sorrow and shock after the tragic loss of two police officers."
BBC News"The shooting occurred in midmorning during a police visit to a property in Porepunkah, a town of just over 1,000 people in Victoria state 320 kilometers (200 miles) northeast of Melbourne."
ABC News"The suspect killed a 59-year-old detective and a 35-year-old senior constable, Victoria’s Chief Commissioner of Police Mike Bush told reporters at a news conference in the nearby city of Wangaratta."
Associated PressArticles (8)
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FAQ
The suspect is Dezi Freeman, a 56-year-old man with sovereign citizen beliefs, who is heavily armed and experienced in wilderness survival.
The shooting occurred while 10 armed police officers were executing a search warrant at Freeman's rural property, where he shot and killed two officers and seriously wounded a third before fleeing on foot into the surrounding forest.
Authorities launched a large-scale manhunt for Freeman, issued shelter-in-place orders for residents, closed public buildings and a nearby airfield, and placed a local school on lockdown before safely releasing students.
Dezi Freeman is known as a self-proclaimed sovereign citizen who had a firearm prohibition order and expressed strong anti-government and anti-police views, including attempts to prosecute government officials and disruptive behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The national police union and the Victorian premier expressed profound shock and sadness, emphasizing the rarity of fatal police shootings in Australia and the serious consequences of gun violence.
History
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5 articles