Even in Australia, Porepunkah is a town few would have heard of before this week. Fewer still could pronounce it.
Nestled at the base of densely wooded mountains in the Australian Alps, it is home to about 1,000 people and beloved for its wineries, bushwalking, and peaceful atmosphere – something which has now been shattered.
Choppers whir overhead. Kevlar-clad officers methodically patrol the town. Armoured vehicles roll down its streets. Porepunkah is now the centre of a massive manhunt for a heavily-armed man that police allege murdered two of their own in cold blood.
Officers went to Dezi Freeman's property on the outskirts of the rural Victorian town on Tuesday, with a warrant to search it. They were met with gunfire, before their alleged attacker – a sovereign citizen with a well-documented hatred of authority – vanished into nearby bushland.
The shooting – which appears hauntingly similar to an ambush of police in Queensland three years ago – has shocked the town and revived questions over how the country deals with growing sects of anti-government conspiracy theorists.
This is exactly the sort of thing that we've been fearing, says Joe McIntyre, who has spent years studying these groups in Australia.
Small community 'rattled'
Police were clearly expecting that this wasn't going to be a straightforward interaction. A detailed risk assessment had been conducted, and 10 officers – a show of force – were tasked with executing the search warrant, reportedly relating to a sex crimes investigation.
Among them was a local detective from a nearby town who was on the brink of retirement. Neal Thompson was selected for the job because he'd had previous dealings with the target and was thought to have built rapport with him, The Age newspaper reported.
Within minutes of arriving at the property, he was shot dead, alongside Senior Constable Vadim De Waart. Another unnamed officer was gravely injured and is recovering in hospital.
Mr. Freeman escaped into thick tree cover on his property with several firearms, including, according to local media, an illegal homemade gun and at least one weapon stolen from the slain officers. He remains on the run.
Horror quickly echoed around the valley.
Holed up in the caravan park her family owns, Emily White's voice choked up as she explained her fear and surprise.
I got a knock on my door from one of our workers saying that there's an active shooter. I said, 'What? You're lying, you're joking', she told the BBC. We're such a small community, and we'll leave our cars unlocked, and we'll leave our front doors open. Nothing like this ever happens.
Residents say it's the kind of town where everyone knows everyone. So it didn't take long for Mr. Freeman – legally known as Desmond Filby – to be fingered as the alleged culprit.
Mark Simpson, who manages the local airfield, told the BBC he'd seen the 56-year-old around town but had no inkling of his beliefs.
The only sovereign citizen I've heard of years ago was a guy in Western Australia… He had his own stamps and money, he says.
Misty-Rose, who runs a local business, mentioned that there has long been a cluster of sovereign citizens in Porepunkah, indicating many in town knew Mr. Freeman was one of them.
Sovereign citizens are characterized as anti-authoritarian conspiracists who reject established government authority and laws as illegitimate, often justifying their actions with nonsensical legal arguments. This belief can lead to actions from refusing to register a car to violent confrontations with law enforcement.
While Mr. Freeman integrated well with the community, he was also subject to whispers and rumors regarding his unusual beliefs. His past actions, including an arrest for protesting a treason case against the state's leaders, had already set off alarms.
Experts are increasingly concerned about the implications of the ideology held by these individuals, as a substantial shift in public perception emerged during the pandemic, where heavy governmental regulations sparked a rise in anti-government sentiments, thereby strengthening fringe beliefs.
Local residents are worried, and with echoes of past police tragedies resonating in the community, calls are mounting for authorities to take these conspiracy groups seriously.
As this high-stakes manhunt unfolds, one thing is clear – the ideals driving violence have deep roots, and communities must navigate both fear and reality in their aftermath.
