Accused cop killer and fugitive Dezi Freeman has been shot dead by police in Victoria.

The gunman had been missing in bushland for about seven months when police stormed a property in the state’s north-east today.

Victoria Police confirmed a man was fatally shot at a rural address in Thologolong, north-east of Porepunkah and on the border with NSW, just before 8.30am.

Dezi Freeman had been on the run since August of last year. (9News)

No police officers were injured.

Victoria Police Commissioner Mike Bush would not name the man shot dead, pending official identification processes, but said he was believed to be Freeman.

He said the families of the slain officers and Freeman’s wife, Amalia, were notified about the death and the operation to find the fugitive has concluded.

“Everything I know at this point tells me that this shooting was justified,” he said at a press conference this morning.

“This has had impact right across that part of Victoria; people have felt unsafe.

“This should bring this to a conclusion.”

Freeman hid in container

Freeman was hiding out in something that resembled a shipping container and a caravan in Thologolong.

He was armed and wrapped in a blanket when he was confronted by police.

Bush said police had appealed to him to peacefully surrender, but he did not do so.

The State Coroner will attend the scene and the investigation will be overseen by Professional Standards Command, as per standard process for a police shooting.

Police will now turn their attention to anyone who may have been helping Freeman.

“I am sure some assisted him in getting away from Porepunkah to where he is located,” Bush said, adding that anyone “complicit” in Freeman’s hiding would face charges.

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An aerial image of the Thologolong property where Dezi Freeman was reportedly located this morning. (Nine)

Freeman had been on the run after fatally shooting Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart, 35, on a rural Porepunkah property on August 26 last year.

Police admitted he knew more about the bushland than they did and could survive for weeks.

Later, they said they believed he had died.

Bush said despite those previous beliefs, police had maintained an open mind to every possible outcome.

Today’s update brings an end to a months-long investigation that included help from police across Australia and New Zealand.

Bush said it was “one of the most significant resourced, largely resourced police operations in history”.

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Dezi Freeman was found in Thologolong. (Nine)

The Police Association Victoria said the news represents a “step forward” in overcoming the tragedy in Porepunkah.

“Our members said they would find him. They did,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

“Closure isn’t the right word. This represents a step forward for our members, for the families of our fallen members and for the community.

“It doesn’t lessen the trauma, give back the futures that were callously stolen or lessen the collective fear and grief that this tragic event has instilled in police and the wider public.

“Today, we won’t reflect on the loss of a coward. We will remember the courage and bravery of our fallen members and every officer that has doggedly pursued this outcome for the community.”

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Who was Dezi Freeman?

Freeman was a 56-year-old self-declared sovereign citizen and a vocal critic of police.

Police officers from the sexual offences and child investigation team were executing a search warrant at the Rayner Track property when they were ambushed on August 26.

He was accused of killing two police officers – Thompson and De Waart-Hottart.

A third officer was also seriously injured.

Freeman fled the property and had not been seen since.

It sparked the biggest manhunt in the state’s history, with several renewed searches of the bushland in the following months.

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Accused killer Dezi Freeman. (9News)

Freeman was known to have survival skills and was believed to have been camped out in the bushland.

His son, 20-year-old Koah Freeman, had compared him to “Rambo”.

Police received 2000 tip-offs in the months-long investigation into his whereabouts.

His wife, 42-year-old Amalia Freeman, and children were interviewed by police.

Amalia was initially arrested and then released. She had been interviewed by the police and was never charged.

She called for her husband to hand himself in to the police.

A $1 million reward was offered for any information leading to his location or arrest.

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Dezi Freeman on A Current Affair. (Nine)

Freeman had also been interviewed by A Current Affair in 2018 over a neighbourly dispute.

He appeared alongside Amalia and his two young sons over claims they were being harassed and intimidated by their neighbours.

At the time, Amalia described their home, about 300 kilometres outside of Melbourne, as their “perfect paradise”.

“It’s so peaceful,” she said.

But, they claimed, their dirtbike-riding neighbours were making their lives difficult.

The neighbours did not give their side of the story.

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Freeman fatally shot two police officers in Porepunkah, Victoria. (Eddie Jim)

What is the ‘sovereign citizen’ movement?

The sovereign citizen movement has once again been thrust into the mainstream spotlight following the seven-month escape of Freeman.

The Australian Federal Police describe a sovereign citizen as someone who seeks to “disassociate from society and refuses to engage with societal requirements like paying tax”.

The overall movement is an uncentralised belief system but is generally characterised by an anti-authority idea that they are not under the jurisdiction of the government and the law does not apply to them.

It’s why, for many years, it was typically associated with videos of someone getting pulled over for a traffic stop and refusing to provide their details to police, claiming law enforcement has no authority over them – only to be arrested shortly after.

Freeman himself had a run-in with police when he was pulled over for driving at 76km/h in a 60 zone.

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Dezi Freeman was arrested in 2021. (David Estcourt)

“I don’t give a s—. Leave me alone, you terrorist. Get the hell away from me and go,” he said when asked to produce his licence, according to court documents.

He also attempted to arrest a magistrate and several police officers while appearing in Wangaratta Magistrates Court, telling them “you must stand down. You’re now in my custody and under arrest. You are not free to leave”.

As Freeman’s alleged attack shows, though, sovereign citizen beliefs can be far more dangerous than they might seem from videos of their court antics and nonsense arguments while refusing to deal with roadside police officers.

Extremists have carried out violent crimes both in Australia and overseas, and the movement has received a significant influx of followers following the COVID-19 pandemic as people retaliated against lockdowns, mask mandates and vaccination requirements.

So what exactly is a sovereign citizen? You can read our full explainer here.

Police search a plantation at Porepunkah on September 1. (Joe Armao)

Who were the police officers killed?

Thompson was a 59-year-old detective leading senior constable who was just days away from retirement after a 38-year career on the force when he was killed.

His colleagues remembered him as a “one-of-a-kind, a laid back adventurer who loved to share the outdoors with his mates”.

His partner, Lisa, who is also a serving officer, said the pair met during a shift together at Wangaratta Police Station in 2016.

“Words cannot convey the depth of sorrow and grief that his loss brings,” she said at his funeral.

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Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson. (Victoria Police)

De Waart-Hottart was a 34-year-old senior constable and Belgian national.

He had graduated and entered the police force in 2019 and was stationed in Maryborough and St Kilda before joining the Public Order Response Unit.

He was known to be a dedicated officer with an unshakeable nature, calm confidence and a drive to help others.

At his funeral, his younger brother Sasha remembered him as his “very own superhero”.

“I could spend hours speaking about my brother, about the wonderful person he is, about all the amazing times we had together,” he said.

“But I’m going to keep this short because I’m not sure I would be able to get through it without breaking down.”

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Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart. (Victoria Police/Facebook)

Where is Porepunkah?

Porepunkah is located on the Great Alpine Road, at the foot of Mount Buffalo, about 300 kilometres north-east of Melbourne.

It has a population of 1024, according to the 2021 Census, and consists of just one pub, a tiny primary school, a few cafes and only two roads out.

The nearest town, Bright, is located five kilometres away.

The shooting and subsequent manhunt had rattled the remote town as residents and the local primary school were placed into lockdown.

Alpine Shire Council facilities were also closed, including transfer stations, libraries, visitor information centres and depots across the LGA, the council’s customer service centre in Bright, and Bright Sports Centre.