<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Police have descended on a Porepunkah street overnight in the hunt for alleged gunman Dezi Freeman.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>At 8.30pm yesterday, at least 12 police vehicles arrived at Chandler Court in the Victorian high country town, about 300km from Melbourne.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>At the same time an emergency alert was issued to everybody in the Porepunkah area advising residents that police were searching for an armed offender and they should limit travel.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/midwinter-ball-2025-simon-holmes--court-pays-15000-for-sussan-ley-to-fly-with-climate-change-campaigner/16e25acb-5e7e-43c7-946a-a3d5e1516aef"><strong><span>Surprise bidder pays $15k for potentially uncomfortable flight</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Officers dismounted and surrounded a property as a loudspeaker advised people inside to come out with nothing in their hands.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>About 10 people walked from the home before they were searched. Officers led away a woman and a baby.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Police would not comment on the operation and only said the investigation was ongoing.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/porepunkah-victoria-police-officer-shooting-people-escorted-from-home/58cb7c8b-9cc2-412b-baf9-94a6619eebe4" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Also overnight, an emotional vigil was held in the town of Wangaratta for one of the officers shot dead in the attack.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The town is where Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, used to work. He was only two weeks away from retirement when he died.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Freeman is accused of shooting dead Thompson and Constable Vadim De Waart on Tuesday morning at a home in Porepunkah.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A third officer was allegedly shot and wounded in the leg and is recovering in hospital.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Freeman is a self-described "sovereign citizen" who is known to police.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>According to the Australian Federal Police, a sovereign citizen – also known as a SovCit – seeks to "disassociate from society and refuses to engage with societal requirements like paying tax".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Police said he had several firearms on him, with senior officers confirming police had not recovered any weapons used in the attack.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Hundreds of officers and specialist police have swarmed the small country town as Victoria Police commit every resource available to track down and apprehend Freeman.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Police are still working on the theory that the accused gunman remains in the Porepunkah area.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Deputy Commissioner of Regional Operations Russell Barrett said yesterday the search area had been expanded but Freeman was believed to be close by.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He also said the manhunt had been taking longer than expected.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The rough terrain has been making the search difficult.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f"><em><strong><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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