POREPUNKAH: Police continue searching Australian bushland for a heavily armed 56-year-old gunman who allegedly killed two officers and wounded a third during a shootout.
Officers hunted through the night for Dezi Freeman, who fled on foot into densely forested terrain after Tuesday morning’s incident in northeast Victoria.
Victoria police chief commissioner Mike Bush stated “The suspect for this horrific event is still at large” during a news conference.
He assured the public that authorities deployed “every resource” to find Freeman, describing him as “very dangerous” and confirming “He’s killed two police officers and injured a third”.
Police established a wide cordon around the rural property in Porepunkah and urged local residents to stay indoors until further notice.
Authorities closed the local primary school as a precaution during the ongoing manhunt operation.
Officers spoke with Freeman’s partner and children to ensure their safety and eliminate any hostage situation concerns.
Police believe Freeman possesses multiple “powerful” firearms and has survival skills that make the search particularly challenging.
Bush explained that Freeman understands “bushcraft” and “will know that area better than us”, complicating capture efforts.
The incident began when ten police officers arrived at the property to execute a search warrant, resulting in gunfire that lasted “over minutes”.
Police “did discharge shots in his direction” during the confrontation but apparently failed to wound the fleeing gunman.
The wounded officer underwent surgery and was “significantly damaged” but is expected to recover fully.
Local media described Freeman as a radicalised conspiracy theorist and self-professed “sovereign citizen”, though police declined to comment on these reports.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese acknowledged that sovereign citizen ideology and far-right extremism represent a “very real” threat according to intelligence services.
Deadly shootings remain relatively rare in Australia since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre led to automatic and semi-automatic weapon bans. – AFP
