The search for a Porepunkah man who is alleged to have killed two police officers and injured a third continues.

Hundreds of police are currently searching bushland, which the suspect is believed to know well.

The alleged gunman, who is believed to be  Dezi Freeman, a 56-year-old Porepunkah local, has been on the run since a shootout at a local property, where a 59-year-old detective and a 35-year-old senior constable died.

Police were at Freeman’s house to execute a search warrant early Tuesday morning before the suspect opened fire.

Porepunkah and the surrounding areas were placed into lockdown at 11 am yesterday. Porepunkah remains in lockdown as police continue to search for the gunman.

Victorian Police Commissioner Mike Bush spoke at a press conference this morning, providing updates on the unfolding situation. He confirmed that the suspect’s family, including his partner and children, attended a police station late last night, confirming they are alive and well.

“This is not a hostage situation, we have met and spoken with the suspect’s partner and children to ensure that they are safe,” he said.

Bush said that locating Freeman in the search area may be difficult.

“Our understanding of him is he understands bushcraft well, which provides a challenge for us. But we keep an absolutely open mind on what options are open to him,” he said.  “And those options will inform our approach.”

Weather may prove an issue in the search as Porepunkah is expected to receive 35 millimetres of rain today.

Secretary of the Victoria Police Association, Wayne Gatt, said on ABC Radio National Breakfast this morning that the police force was deeply moved by the events.

“I mean, I don’t know if there’s an easier way to describe it,”  he said.  “They’re all people underneath that uniform, and they’re just enormously sad… ”

Photo: by Gayan Karunaratne is available here and used under a Creative Commons licence. The image has been cropped.