Australian police are engaged in what senior officials describe as the nation’s largest coordinated search effort, following the deadly ambush of two officers in Victoria’s alpine region. The small community of Porepunkah has been thrust into the spotlight as the manhunt enters its third week.
The violence erupted on August 26, 2025, when police attempted to execute a warrant at a rural property outside the town. Authorities say the suspect, identified as Dezi Freeman — who has also gone by the name Desmond Filby — opened fire without warning. Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart, 35, were killed in the attack, while a third officer sustained critical injuries. Freeman then fled into the rugged bushland on foot.
Since that day, more than 125 tactical officers, including reinforcements from interstate and even New Zealand, have combed the surrounding wilderness. Search parties have battled rivers, caves, cliffs, and thick forest, checking abandoned huts and mineshafts as they go. Despite the extensive sweep, investigators say there has not been a single confirmed sighting of the fugitive.
Police believe Freeman may still be hiding in the high country but are also examining the possibility that he has received outside help or has succumbed to the harsh alpine conditions. He is considered armed and extremely dangerous.
A $1 million reward has been offered for information, with more than 1,100 tips received so far. Restrictions were immediately placed on travel through Mount Buffalo National Park and the Porepunkah area, though some have since been eased. Even so, checkpoints remain, and the normally bustling tourist hub has seen business decline sharply. Locals describe a lingering sense of unease as patrols and helicopters dominate the landscape.
The deaths of Thompson and de Waart-Hottart have devastated Victoria Police, prompting tributes from across Australia. As the unprecedented search continues, the community waits anxiously for closure, caught in the midst of one of the most extensive police operations in the country’s history.
