By Mikaela Ortolan, Harvey Biggs and Judd Boaz for ABC News
Victoria Police has deployed more than 450 people in the search for Dezi Freeman. Photo: ABC News: Danielle Bonica
Australian police say more than 100 properties have been searched as the hunt continues for the gunman who allegedly killed two police officers in north-east Victoria.
Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart were killed when they attempted to execute a warrant at a property in Porepunkah last Tuesday.
The alleged gunman, Dezi Freeman, was last seen running towards dense bushland behind his property, sparking a major manhunt involving several hundred officers.
During a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said it was an "obvious possibility" that Mr Freeman was being shielded from police by his friends.
"He does not deserve to be protected," Commissioner Bush said.
"This person needs to be in custody because of what's occurred, they need to be held accountable."
Dezi Freeman. Photo: Supplied / Victoria Police
Bush - a former NZ Police Commissioner - said strategies to entice people to come forward with information, including the possibility of a reward, were being considered.
A heavy police presence remains in Porepunkah, with authorities maintaining contact with known associates of Mr Freeman.
Police were also remaining in contact with Amalia Freeman, Mr Freeman's wife, and confirmed she was on the property at the time of the alleged shooting.
The afternoon also saw a fire truck attend the area after small grassfire ignited on Mt Buffalo Road in Porepunkah near the site of the alleged shooting.
Businesses hit hard by police operation
The heavy police presence in the usually tourist-laden town of Porepunkah has had consequences for local businesses.
About five kilometres down the road, the owner of the Bright Brewery, Scott Brandon, said people had been apprehensive about travelling to the area, and it was beginning to impact businesses.
"We're pretty concerned with how everything's going," he said.
"We're significantly down in visitation … It's a pretty significant hit for us."
He said the town was dependent on tourism and the winter months were particularly important with people passing through or staying overnight as they visited the nearby ski slopes.
Since the alleged shooting, business for him was down by as much as 80 per cent, he said.
"There's a lot at stake [with the alleged gunman on the run], but the town itself is starting to really feel the economic impacts of what's going on as well," he said.
"To not be able to take advantage of the bumper ski season that's coming through is going to have a longer-term impact on the town."
Businesses and local MPs are now lobbying the government for support.
"Anything that can support the businesses to get through this will be invaluable," Mr Brandon said.
A spokesperson for the Victorian government said it was working with the Alpine Shire Council to "understand the impacts of this horrific incident on the community".
"Our government stands with the community of Porepunkah who are now carrying the weight of this horrific incident and with Victoria Police and the emergency services who are still responding to this unthinkable crime," the spokesperson said.
Bringing tourists back to the region
On Tuesday, the search area for Mr Freeman appeared to expand significantly with a convoy of police cars arriving at Wangaratta, about 72 kilometres away from Porepunkah.
Officers were seen blocking streets and knocking on doors, telling ABC reporters on the ground they were "following up leads".
When asked about their presence in Wangaratta, Victoria Police said it would not comment on operational activity.
A helicopter flying over dense bushland with thick cloud coverage surrounding it.
Earlier on Tuesday, Superintendent Brett Kahan said police had received a "remarkable" amount of information after establishing a public information caravan in Bright.
Nationals MP Tim McCurdy said it was concerning that police believed Mr Freeman was being assisted by members of the community.
"To go and harbour a fugitive that has [allegedly] killed two police officers, have a heart, think about the families of those police officers," he said.
"We've got to track this guy down."
He was aware of the impacts the operation was having on local businesses and said he had reached out to the government for funding.
"I was in a store yesterday and [the owner] said, 'I don't even know how I'm going to pay my power bill this month,'" Mr McCurdy said.
"Another business has lost $10,000 in turnover last week. Everyone has a story to tell."
Mr McCurdy said it was vital to get tourists back to the region as soon as it was safe to do so.
"We've seen what's happened in other high-profile cases across Victoria in the last couple of years," he said.
"Depending on how this concludes, we don't want to see the people of Porepunkah in this situation. We want them to move on as quickly as they can and get back to doing what they do best, and that's hosting tourists.
"We've got school holidays just around the corner and before you know it people are booking their summer holidays. We want them to come to Bright and Porepunkah."
On Tuesday, federal independent member for Indi Helen Haines said that while it wasn't clear what the long-term impacts would be, early indicators suggested there would be a significant loss of income across multiple sectors.
Mr Brandon from the Bright Brewery said that while a notice issued by authorities to avoid the area was understandable, he was hopeful the operation would wrap up sooner rather than later.
"This is normally a really safe and enjoyable area to visit, so we're really keen to see that resume," he said.
"The longer it drags on, the more stress it is for everybody."
- ABC
