Dezi Freeman identified as alleged gunman behind fatal shooting of two police officers in Porepunkah, Victoria

The gunman who allegedly murdered two police officers and injured another has been identified as a self-described sovereign citizen who has a long history with police.

Dezi Freeman allegedly shot dead two officers — a 59-year-old detective and a 35-year-old senior constable — while they were executing a search warrant at a property on Rayner Track in Porepunkah, near Bright in Victoria’s northeast.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Police boss speaks after two cops shot dead.

A third officer was shot in the leg and airlifted to hospital.

The detective is currently undergoing surgery and his injuries are not life-threatening, Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said.

Freeman fled on foot into the bush near his semi-rural property, possibly with his wife and children as hostages.

He was pursued but managed to escape.

Freeman has eluded authorities for more than eight hours and remains on the run, with his current whereabouts unknown.

Victoria Police has sent text messages to everyone in town that there is an ongoing threat.

Hundreds of officers are working to take the suspect, who is believed to be heavily armed and dangerous, into custody.

“We have deployed every specialist resource into this area to locate him,” Bush said.

“That is our priority. Our priority is to arrest him to ensure that he’s held to account for the actions, but also very much to bring safety and security to this community.”

Freeman is well known to police, having been in and out of court for driving offences, traffic offences and not abiding by police orders.

In 2021, he was arrested at an anti-government protest.

Last year, he verbally abused a judge in a case about refusing a roadside drug test.

He previously publicly compared police to Nazis.

It is believed Freeman describes himself as a sovereign citizen — a person who subscribes to anti-government ideology and thinks they are above the law.

Special Operations Group officers, detectives and police negotiators remain at the scene.

Bush said a “robust” risk assessment had been carried out before police arrived at the property on Tuesday.

Ten officers in total attended the property about 10.30am to execute a search warrant for a firearms prohibition.

It is understood police were searching an abandoned bus at the property when two were allegedly shot at by Freeman.

The two deceased police officers remain at the scene, while the injured officer is currently undergoing surgery at The Alfred Hospital.

One of the officers killed was due to retire next week.

Bush said all three are “fine and brave officers”.

“The word tragic doesn’t begin to describe what occurred today in our community,” he said.

The seven officers that were not physically hurt have been left “very traumatised”.

Bush said support is available to the family of all officers involved, and the force family more broadly.

“Myself and every member of Victoria Police are with you at this moment. Our hearts go out to you,” he said.

Bush said he had received messages from Commissioners across Australia, including Queensland where today’s shooting brought up memories of the Wieambilla police shooting in late 2022.

He urged residents in Porepunkah and the surrounding areas to stay inside until the situation has been deemed safe.

“We will do everything to bring this person into custody so that your community is safe,” Bush said.

Police Association Victoria chief executive Wayne Gatt said “police stations have fallen silent” throughout the state.

“There’s a shocking and eerie feeling of dread and indeed a sense of not knowing what to do,” he said.

“That’s something that’s being echoed in every police station across this state right now.”

The incident forced schools in the Porepunkah area to go into lockdown.

“It’s just the kind of thing that you don’t expect to happen,” one parent said.

Porepunkah Primary School principal Jill Gillies said emergency news filtered through just after recess.

“We are a tight-knit community and things that do happen do take their toll on the community but we do rally around each other and it’s a very supportive community,” Gillies told 7NEWS.

Police from the Special Operations Group and Critical Incident Response Team are also at the scene, alongside detectives from the Armed Crime Squad and Fugitive Squad.

Officers from the NSW Special Operations Group are also on their way to help.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.