Australian police believe fugitive accused of killing two officers shot dead

Australian police said on Monday a fugitive gunman, who had been on the run for seven months for allegedly killing two ​police officers, was believed to have been shot dead in a police ‌operation in a remote town in Victoria state.

"While the man is yet to be formally identified, police believe it is likely to be 56-year-old Porepunkah man Desmond Freeman," Victoria Police said in a ​statement.

Freeman, previously known as Desmond Filby, was fatally shot at about 8:30am ​on Monday (2130 GMT, Sunday) following a three-hour standoff at a rural property ⁠in northeast Victoria, Australian media widely reported.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said ​the police shooting was justified as officials investigate the exact circumstances of the incident and ​conduct a formal investigation.

"Everything I know at this point tells me that this shooting was justified," Bush said during a media briefing, adding that no police officers were injured during the incident.

"There was an ​opportunity for him to surrender peacefully, which he did not ... we're working through the ​sequence of that. We strongly believe, yet to be confirmed, that he was armed."

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More than 450 police ‌officers ⁠had been involved in the hunt for Freeman since August, when he allegedly opened fire on a team of 10 police officers when they arrived at a property in Porepunkah, about 300 km (186 miles) northeast of Melbourne, to execute a search warrant.

Authorities had ​offered a A$1 million ($684,700) reward ​for information leading to ⁠his capture.

Believed to have expert bushcraft skills and multiple powerful firearms, Freeman fled into bushland at Mount Buffalo National Park following ​the shooting. Local media have described him as a "sovereign citizen", a ​term used ⁠for individuals who regard the government as illegitimate.

The Age newspaper reported Freeman was found and shot dead by police at a large rural property in the remote Walwa area in Victoria, ⁠about ​180 km (112 miles) northeast of Porepunkah.

Satellite imagery showed the ​property was studded with multiple buildings, two shipping containers, a caravan and several derelict vehicles, the report said.