Victoria Police on Wednesday identified the gunman accused of killing two officers and injuring a third as 56-year-old Desmond FilbyPhoto courtesy of Victoria Police/Release
Australian police on Wednesday identified the gunman accused of killing two police officers and injuring a third a day prior as the manhunt for the suspect continued.
The shooting occurred at around 10:30 a.m. AEST Tuesday in the town of Porepunkah, located about 190 miles northeast of Melbourne in the state of Victoria.
Ten police officers were at the property on Rayner Track when the shooting occurred, killing two officers and injuring a third.
The suspect fled the scene on foot into the nearby bush, and authorities have been hunting for him since.
On Wednesday, Victoria Police identified the suspect as 56-year-old Desmond Filby, also known as Desmond Freeman.
“Filby is believed to be armed with firearms, and we urge people not to approach him,” Victoria Police said in a statement. Authorities said he is believed to be armed with multiple firearms.
Filby is described as White, 6 feet tall, of medium build with short dark hair and brown eyes.
He was last seen wearing dark khaki tracksuit pants, a dark green rain jacket, brown Blundstone boots and reading glasses.
He has not been seen since the shooting, and police are warning residents of Porepunkah and surrounding townships to expect to see increased police activity.
In a statement on Facebook, Victoria Police urged the public in the area “to remain indoors until further notice.”
During a press conference, Victoria Police Commissioner Mike Bush told reporters that they have cordoned off a “very large search area.”
“The hunt will continue until we find him,” he said.
The cause of the shooting and the reason why the police were on the property were not entirely clear. Bush said the officers were there execute a warrant. He identified the involved police as local authorities and members of the sexual offenses and child investigation team.
“I’m not going to go into any further detail because there are victims involved in the matter, and it would be very unfair and unwise for me to talk about that any further,” he said.
Police said the suspect’s partner and child attended a police station Tuesday evening, quelling concerns that it could be a hostage situation.
Australian media has widely reported that Filby allegedly self-identified as a “sovereign citizen,” a person who harbors anti-government beliefs and doesn’t believe the law applies to them.
Bush would not comment on his background other than to say “we had a good profile on that person.”
The two slain officers were identified online Wednesday afternoon as 59-year-old Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, who joined Victoria Police in September 1987, and 35-year-old Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, who had started his police career with the Victoria Police Academy in December 2018.
The police officer who was injured has undergone surgery, according to Bush, who said he was “significantly damaged, but will recover.”
“We are putting every piece of support around the officers around the families of the officers that have passed in this tragic event,” Bush said.
