Australian state posts A$1 million reward for fugitive gunman

6/9/2025 12:31

Australian authorities offered a A$1 million ($650,000) reward on Saturday for information leading to the capture of a gunman on the run for 11 days after allegedly killing two police officers.



More than 450 police have been searching the mountains of Victoria state for 56-year-old Dezi Freeman, previously known as Desmond Filby, since the August 26 shootings on a rural property that also injured a third officer.



The reward is a record for the southeastern state, police said.



Freeman is alleged to have fired on a team of 10 police officers, including members of the sexual offences and child investigation team, when they arrived at his rural property to execute a search warrant.



Believed to have expert bushcraft skills and multiple powerful firearms, Freeman is described by local media as a "sovereign citizen" who regards the government as illegitimate.



"As part of the effort to locate Freeman and bring him into custody peacefully and safely, police are offering a reward of up to $1m for information on his whereabouts that leads to his arrest," Victoria police said in a statement. "This reward represents the largest ever offered in Victoria for an arrest."