Police said the identity of the man killed in the operation was yet to be formally confirmed but he was most likely to be Dezi Freeman, 56, of Porepunkah. The fugitive was shot dead at a rural property in northeastern Victoria. Freeman, whose real name was Desmond Filby, had been on the run since he fatally shot two senior police officers, Neal Thompson and Vadim de Waart-Hottart, last August. Police officers were executing a search warrant in connection with an investigation into sex offences last August when they were shot by Freeman. Freeman was born Desmond Christopher Filby but renamed himself Dezi Freeman to symbolise his belief in personal sovereignty.

Source: Irish Independent March 30, 2026 17:30 UTC