Dezi Freeman, the sovereign citizen who killed two police officers in August 2025, has been found dead after a seven-month manhunt. He was shot by police on Monday at a rural property near Thologolong, about 100km from where he was last seen.
Police chief commissioner Mike Bush said Freeman was killed after a three-hour standoff. He left a building described as a cross between a caravan and a shipping container, cloaked in a blanket, and presented a firearm to officers. Multiple special operations group officers then fired on him.
Bush stated that Freeman was given every opportunity to surrender peacefully but did not take it. Police had been at the scene for about 24 hours and saw no other people. It is unclear if Freeman shot at police or whether he still had weapons taken from the slain officers.
The manhunt was the largest in state history, with a $1m reward offered for information. Bush confirmed the reward payment would remain confidential. The families of the fallen officers, Det Sen Const Neal Thompson and Sen Const Vadim de Waart-Hottart, were notified first.
Questions remain about how the tragedy occurred, how Freeman evaded police for so long, and the child sexual abuse allegations that led police to his door. The risk assessment resulted in 10 officers executing the warrant, yet it still ended in bloodshed.
