GUNSHOTS echoed through the crisp morning air – a foreign sound in the normally idyllic countryside – as a routine warrant execution turned deadly.
In the blink of an eye, two policemen were shot dead in cold blood and a third was left hospitalised, with the alleged shoot – self proclaimed “Sovereign Citizen” Dezi Freeman – still on the run.
ReutersDezi Freeman remains on the run after allegedly shooting two Australian cops dead[/caption]
Sovereign Citizen believer Gavin Eugene Long shot six cops in the US in 2016
Constable Rachel McCrow was killed along with two others by a Sovereign Citizen family in Australia
Self-titled ‘Chief Judge of England’ Mark Christopher led a plot to kidnap a coroner in Essex
The man-hunt for the “homicidal Bear Grylls” still rages – and the spotlight has once again been shined on the “cult-like” belief shared by hundreds of thousands worldwide.
While most common in the United States and Australia – it is believed tens of thousands of Brits also lean towards the ideology that has been linked to numorous acts of violence.
Police are struggling to locate the radical, self-proclaimed sovereign citizen in the Victorian high country, fighting against the harsh environment and winter weather.
The 56-year-old fugitive is part of a growing number of people who self-identify as Sovereign Citizens, a group of anti-establishment and anti-government individuals, conspiracy theorists and tax protesters.
Adherents to the extreme libertarian ideology believe they have a right to live under their own laws without any government interference.
And many have shown they are willing to kill or be killed in pursuit of that goal.
Chillingly, experts fear the movement – that has taken root Down Under and in parts of the US – also threatens to take hold in the UK.
Sovereign Citizens hold deeply anti-government beliefs which often coincide with conspiracy thinking.
Their main tenet is that governments have been replaced by a corporation that controls people through birth certificates, licences and other identification documents.
The movement was born in the US in the 1970s and believers have since been labelled as “anti-government extremists” by the FBI.
Dr William Allchorn from the American International University in London, said there are two main groups active in the UK – the Sovereign Citizens and the slightly distinct “Freeman on the land” movement.
“These groups reject government authority, legal systems and taxation,” he said.
“Members often employ pseudolegal arguments to challenge legal obligations, such as refusing to pay taxes or contesting fines.”
He explained there are tens of thousands of people in the UK who adhere to these beliefs.
Dr Allchorn added there had been evidence of cross communication between groups, in both “ideological overlap and informal collaboration”.
While the UK has not experienced widespread violence, Dr Allchorn said “the potential for escalation” existed – pointing to the double cop killing this week in Australia.
“This … underscores the potential for violent actions stemming from sovereign citizen ideologies,” he said.
The UK has seen some clashes – such as a sovereign citizen-linked group led by the self-proclaimed “Chief Judge of England” Mark Christoper trying to kidnap a coroner in Essex.
The risk of violence among sovereign citizen communities is not limited to Australia, according to Dr Joe McIntyre from the University of South Australia, who called the movement a “global phenomenon”.
EPAThe shooting happened in Porepunkah – an alpine town 310km north-east of Melbourne[/caption]
EPAPolice continue to search for Freeman, four days after the shoot out[/caption]
Freeman was known to police prior to Tuesday’s shoot out
7NEWSFreeman was arrested in 2021 at an anti-government protest[/caption]
“The potential for violence has been present for a long time,” he said.
“The UK is in no different position to Australia on this.
“Though there is a slightly different emphasis on types of crime, we’ve seen the same growth, the same radicalisation and it’s becoming increasingly problematic with the rise of generative AI.”
Dr McIntyre said the groups had a “cult-like” appeal.
“Psychologically, there is something deeply captivating when you’ve got a community of righteous warriors around you trying to save society from the corrupt government,” he said.
Professor Christine Sarteschi from Chatham University said the groups would continue to rise in popularity, but governments are beginning to take them more seriously.
“Australia, for example, is taking the group more seriously,” she said.
“[They] are being seen for what they are – disruptive, combative people who will not follow the laws of their country.”
People are motivated to join these groups for various reasons, including “a belief the legal and political systems are corrupt or unjust” and a desire to “reject external authority”.
“The movement has integrated with other anti-establishment and conspiracy-driven ideologies, such as anti-vaccination and far-right groups,” Dr Allchorn said.
“Online platforms have helped facilitate the spread of these ideologies and allowed individuals to connect, share resources and reinforce their beliefs across borders,” Dr Allchorn added.
EPAA Mount Buffalo National Park entrance is closed off as the man hunt continues[/caption]
EPAArmed heavy vehicles are being used to assist in the hunt for Freeman[/caption]
Back in Australia, Freeman remains on the run, however his alleged fatal attack is not the first incident to end in police officers losing their lives Down Under.
In 2022, couple Gareth and Stacey Train alongside Gareth’s brother Nathaniel Train, shot dead constables Rachel McCrown and Matthew Arnold and their neighbour Alan Dare, on a Queensland property.
The incident has since been linked back to a notorious American sovereign citizen Donald Day Jr, who was a “close confidant” of the Trains family.
Day Jr has since been arrested and charged with inciting violence online and making interstate threats.
And there have been a number of killings linked to the movement in the US, such as Gavine Eugene Long who shot six police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana – killing four.
The Christmas parade car ramming attack in Waukesha, Wisconsin, that killed 6 and injured 62 was also carried out by a soverign citizen Darrell Edward Brooks Jr.
YouTubeConspiracy theorists Stacey and Gareth Train shot dead two Queensland police officers in 2022[/caption]
Not known, clear with picture deskGareth Train’s brother Nathaniel assisted in the cop killing[/caption]
Not known, clear with picture deskConstable Matthew Arnold tragically died in the 2022 shoot out[/caption]
Who are Australia’s ‘Sovereign Citizens’ ?
“SOVEREIGN citizens” – often called SovCits – are part of a fringe movement that falsely claims individuals can opt out of Australian law and government authority.
Followers often argue they are not bound by taxes, licences, fines, or court rulings.
The movement has existed in Australia for decades, borrowing heavily from conspiracy theories in the US.
While always on the margins, SovCits became more visible during the Covid pandemic, when mistrust in government and police surged.
Although many adherents are non-violent, police say confrontations can escalate when SovCits refuse to recognise authority.
Some have clashed with officers over property disputes, traffic stops, and legal orders.
The Australian Federal Police has warned the movement has “an underlying capacity to inspire violence.”
A 2023 AFP briefing note said SovCits are becoming more organised, using social media to spread their views and recruit supporters.
Authorities say numbers remain small but pockets of activity have been reported in regional areas.
Most activity involves disruptive legal claims and anti-government rhetoric — but some adherents have been linked to armed standoffs and violent threats.