VICTORIA STATE — Australian police fatally shot a man believed to be Dezi Freeman on Monday at a remote location near Thologolong in Victoria state following a three-hour standoff with heavily armed tactical officers. The 56-year-old Freeman was accused of killing two police officers and seriously wounding a third on August 26, 2025, when officers came to serve a warrant at his home near Porepunkah.

The Special Operations Group tactical police engaged in a standoff for three hours before the suspect was shot. The suspect had been inside a shelter resembling a shipping container and did take up a police offer to surrender.

Victoria's Chief Commissioner of Police Mike Bush said the operation aimed to arrest the suspect as peacefully as possible and bring the situation to a conclusion as safely as possible. Bush said he strongly believed the suspect was armed but could not say whether the suspect fired at police.

The August 26 incident occurred when Freeman allegedly opened fire on police officers who arrived at his home to serve a warrant. The shooting of three police officers prompted police to launch a search across Victoria's forested alpine region. No confirmed sightings of Freeman had been recorded since that date.

Identification of the man killed Monday could take up to 48 hours through processes including fingerprinting. The shooting location near Thologolong is about a two-hour drive north of Porepunkah, where the original incident occurred.

Police offered a 1 million Australian dollar reward for information during the search. Australian news outlets reported that Freeman espoused sovereign citizen beliefs and had grievances with police. Police feared Freeman's wilderness survival skills could sustain him living in the open indefinitely. Police continue to investigate whether others helped the suspect avoid arrest during the months he remained at large.