Police in the state of Victoria said they were offering the “life-changing” amount in their hunt for the 56-year-old fugitive, Desmond Freeman.

Freeman is accused of opening fire when police arrived at his home in the eastern state of Victoria with a search warrant.

The shooting killed 59-year-old detective Neal Thompson and 35-year-old senior constable Vadim De Waart. A third officer had surgery after being wounded in the lower body.

Hundreds of police have been searching in vain for the alleged shooter, a reported conspiracy theorist who has bush survival skills, after he fled into dense forest by the small town of Porepunkah.

Now, Victoria police say they are offering up to A$1 million (US$659,000) for information leading to Freeman’s arrest — a record sum in the state for the detention of a suspect.

“There is no doubt that up to a million dollars is a life-changing amount of money for anyone and has the potential to completely change their circumstances,” said the Victoria police homicide squad’s detective inspector Dean Thomas.

“This figure recognises the seriousness of this violent offending and our commitment to locating Freeman as soon as possible so that he is no longer a risk to the broader community,” he said.

Police clarified an earlier statement that they believed someone in the community may be helping Freeman to elude them.

“At this time, there is nothing to indicate that Freeman is being assisted by a specific person, however given the difficult terrain and the requirement for various supplies this remains a possibility,” they said in a statement.

“Police are also open to the possibilities that he remains at large alone or is dead as a result of self-harm.”