AUSTRALIAN GUNMAN STILL ON FOOT

Hundreds of officers are searching for a gunman who allegedly shot and killed two officers and injured another.

The incident took place on a rural property in the state of Victoria, about 300km northeast of Melbourne.

The gunman has been identified as 56-year-old Dezi Freeman, previously known as Desmond Filby. Authorities have said that they believe he has expert bushcraft skills and multiple powerful firearms.

To add to the challenges already faced by those searching for Freeman, the search has taken a turn for the worse with severe challenging conditions of wind, cold and snow. Very cold weather has been predicted for the area with possible black ice on roads.

It’s believed Freeman fired on a team of 10 police officers. Among them were members of the sexual offences and child investigation teams.

When the officers arrived at the property located near the town of Porepunkah to execute a search warrant, Freeman started shooting at them.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan paid tribute to the two slain officers, Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, 35, and 59-year-old Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson.

According to Reuters, Australian media have reported that police believe Freeman is a "sovereign citizen" who regards the government as illegitimate.

Image credit: Sky News