The gunman identified as a sovereign citizen, who is accused of fatally shooting two police officers and injuring a third, had a history of issuing ominous warnings and threats to law enforcement and other authorities.

Dezi Bird Freeman, formerly known as Desmond Filby, is accused of opening fire with a shotgun when officers arrived at a remote location near Porepunkah in Victoria’s High Country on Tuesday morning.

The officers were there to carry out a warrant concerning past allegations of sexual abuse. Freeman, 56, allegedly killed two officers and wounded the third one in the legs.

After the shootings, Freeman allegedly took the fallen officers’ weapons and fled into the wilderness, leading to a massive police search. There is currently no information on the whereabouts of his wife and two children, but police indicated he was alone when he escaped.

Freeman, who once worked locally as a landscape photographer, adopted an anti-authoritarian stance and changed his surname from Filby to Freeman to reflect his ideology.

He is a controversial and well-known figure within the local community for his bizarre sovereign citizen dogma, insisting he is above the law.

He singled out one female police officer in court for vicious abuse after she she pulled him over for traffic offences on September 28, 2020.

During a lengthy appeal process, he branded police in court as ‘frigging Nazis’, ‘Gestapo’ and ‘terrorist thugs.’ 

During the Covid pandemic, Freeman’s fellow ‘sov cit’ ally shared on social media concerns about the ‘disastrous state of Victoria and the rest of Australia’.

Freeman responded: ‘Hell awaits those traitor maggots. There is no escape. The clock is ticking!’

He unleashed again five years ago in response to another ‘sov cit’ being pulled over by police because his registration was 17 days expired.

‘Sounds like they broke many laws in putting a DVO on you,’ he replied.

‘It is not valid, there is no DVO. Drive your car, ignore their bulls*** and call them out on every law they have broken.

‘Don’t let them hear any case against you until their crimes have been prosecuted. Arrest any criminal who breaks any laws in the court. 

‘Get the hell out of the corrupt magistrate’s courts and either go higher or shut down the case completely!’

In 2021, Freeman, together with his mate Jim Rech, attempted to privately charge then-Victorian Premier Dan Andrews with treason and fraud, and summoned him to Myrtleford Magistrates Court.

Mr Andrews wasn’t required to be present at court.

The case was swiftly thrown out.

Before the case was heard, Channel 7 cameras captured footage of Freeman being tackled to the ground as he protested outside the court.

He shouted about ‘terrorist criminal filth’ as he was marched away by sheriffs. 

‘Everyone knows that these scumbags are b***hurt because they’re obsessed with power,’ he said.

It was alleged Freeman had been ‘king hit’ and thrown to the road, sustaining face injuries, amid an alleged ‘unprovoked attack by these state-hired thugs’.

Supporters claimed police ‘frog-marched’ Freeman 400m through the centre of Myrtleford in an act of ‘public humiliation’.

It was also claimed Freeman’s wife Mali had sustained bruising to her arm while attempting to help her husband.

In 2018, Freeman hit the headlines for an entirely different reason when he featured in a story on Nine’s A Current Affair.

He was embroiled in a ‘Bogans from Mt Buffalo’ on a dispute between Freeman, his wife, and their new neighbours, who they claimed were causing chaos with noisy dirt bikes and chainsaws.

A Current Affair reported an ‘all out war’ between the Freemans and the next-door family had erupted.

The Freemans in that case welcomed the police fining their neighbours over the chainsaw incident because it had breached a noise ‘abatement notice’.

On Tuesday the neighbouring family told the Daily Mail the Freemans had put them  ‘through hell’ – and they hoped people could now see who the real villains were. 

On Tuesday, Porepunkah was reeling from the news that an active gunman was at large.

Speaking to Daily Mail from the locked-down Mount Buffalo Caravan Park, Emily – whose mum owns the park – revealed officers were desperately searching their premises in case Freeman had entered.

She said campers in tents were shifted to secure cabins and police have advised people not to leave keys in their cars.

‘We’re all ok but a bit rattled, stuff like this doesn’t happen here,’ she said.

Porepunkah residents were told to stay indoors while the police operation unfolds.

Victoria Police confirmed late on Tuesday a 59-year-old detective and a 35-year-old Senior Constable were killed.

It’s understood the 59-year-old victim was just days away from retirement.

The third officer was shot in the thigh and is undergoing surgery at a Melbourne hospital. One of the slain officers was reportedly only weeks away from retiring.

Chief Commissioner Mike Bush made a heartfelt announcement live from Wangaratta Police Station where he gave his condolences to the families of the slain officers.

‘The suspect for this horrific event is still at large, we believe he is armed,’ Chief Commissioner Bush said’

‘Our priority is to arrest him, to ensure he is held to account for his actions.

‘We thank those courageous officers, in fact we thank every police officer who comes to work every day to keep their community safe.

‘We will do everything to look after the families of those officers.

Chief Commissioner Bush confirmed the ‘suspect’ was ‘heavily armed and dangerous’.

The top cop who only recently became chief of Victoria Police said the officers were ‘murdered in cold blood’.

‘We are still looking to locate his partner and two children, but he was not seen to head into the bush with them,’ he said.

He also believed the suspect had ‘several’ guns on him and there was no evidence that the suspected gunman had left Porepunkah region.

‘We have nothing to suggest he’s fled the area. But we are keeping a very open mind,’ he said.  

Children at Porepunkah Primary School were locked down at 11.30am, but were able to be collected by their parents around 4pm. 

Jill Gillies, the school’s principal, told ABC radio ‘we’re all safe and calm and having the best time we possibly can under the circumstances’.

Alpine Shire Council has closed all its facilities while the gunman remained at large.

‘This includes all transfer stations, libraries and Visitor Information Centres and Depots across the Shire, Council’s Customer Service Centre in Bright and Bright Sports Centre,’ the council said on social media.

Premier Jacinta Allan has advised Victorians to avoid the Porepunkah area and follow police advice.

In a statement posted to X on Tuesday just after 1.30pm, Ms Allan said the ‘thoughts of all Victorians’ were with the police force following the shootings.

‘A police operation is currently underway in Porepunkah, in Victoria’s northeast,’ she wrote.

‘I have been briefed by the Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police. This situation remains active.’

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was ‘very concerned for some of the police officers who are involved’.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw said ‘our thoughts and prayers are with Victoria Police right now’.

Police have directed all media covering the unfolding event to Wangaratta Police Station.

‘This is an active and ongoing incident which may present significant risk to members of the public. We are asking that you do not attend the scene at this time,’ the spokesperson said.