AdvertisementAdvertisementThis screengrab taken from a video released by Australian broadcaster ABC and received via AFPTV on Aug 26, 2025 shows Australian police personnel near the crime scene after the deadly confrontation with the gunman in the small town of Porepunkah in the northeast of Victoria state, Australia. (Photo: AFP)27 Aug 2025 08:07AM Bookmark Bookmark WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedInRead a summary of this article on FAST.Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST SYDNEY: A heavily armed 56-year-old Australian man is on the run on Wednesday (Aug 27), a day after he shot and killed two police officers while wounding a third, police said.Police hunted through the night for the man, who they identified as Dezi Freeman, described by local media as a radicalised conspiracy theorist.Officers set up a wide cordon around the crime scene, a rural property with a house and a bus in the small town of Porepunkah in the northeast of Victoria state."The suspect for this horrific event is still at large," Victoria police chief commissioner Mike Bush told a news conference."I can assure everyone that we are pouring every resource into this search for this person. We must find him," he added."He is very dangerous. He's killed two police officers and injured a third."Police said they had spoken with the man's partner and children to ensure they were safe, and to rule out the risk of any hostage situation.Police said they believe Freeman has multiple "powerful" firearms.Ten police officers had gone to the property on Tuesday morning to execute a search warrant when the gunfire broke out, the police chief said.'Horrific' shooting kills two police in AustraliaCommentary: Gun laws change after mass shootings, just not in the way we might thinkPolice "did discharge shots in his direction" during the shootout, apparently without wounding the gunman, Bush said.The shootout, which occurred "over minutes", resulted in the deaths of a 59-year-old detective and a 35-year-old senior constable.The wounded officer has been operated on and is "significantly damaged" but will recover, the police chief said.While not revealing the cause for the original search warrant, he said the police team that descended on the property included local officers and members of the sexual offences and child investigation squad.The manhunt is challenging, Bush said, explaining that Freeman is believed to understand "bushcraft" - surviving in nature - and "he will know that area better than us".Source: AFP/dcSign up for our newslettersGet our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inboxSubscribe hereGet the CNA appStay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best storiesDownload hereGet WhatsApp alertsJoin our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat appJoin hereAlso worth readingContent is loading...Expand to read the full storyGet bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST