Tom Phillips, a New Zealand man who had spent nearly four years on the run with his three children, was shot dead by police early Monday after what authorities say was an attempted burglary and a subsequent shootout in the North Island.
Acting Deputy Police Commissioner Jill Rogers said officers responding to a report of a burglary in the hamlet of Piopio deployed a tyre-deflation device on a quad bike to stop a fleeing vehicle at about 3:20 a.m. When an officer approached the stopped quad bike, Rogers said, the officer was shot in the head and immediately took cover. A second patrol engaged the offender and Phillips died at the scene. The injured officer was airlifted to hospital with injuries described as critical but survivable and has undergone surgery.
Police said a child was with Phillips during the attempted burglary and was located at the scene; she was taken into police custody and later helped officers find the two younger children. The three siblings, identified by media reports as Jayda, 12, Maverick, 10, and Ember, 9, were found safe in a nearby remote campsite and are now receiving care, Rogers said. She declined to give further detail about their condition, citing their welfare and an ongoing investigation.
The incident capped a long-running case that began when Phillips and his children first disappeared from the family farm in Marokopa in September 2021. After a large land and sea search, Phillips returned to the family property with the children 17 days later and was charged with wasting police time. He left the farm again in December 2021 and a warrant was issued after he failed to appear in court, according to police and court records.
During the period he was at large, police said, Phillips committed a string of alleged offences, including armed robberies. In May 2023 he was charged over an alleged bank hold-up. In October of the previous year, hunters filmed what they later recognised as Phillips and three younger people moving through rough terrain; police were unable to locate them after the sighting. Authorities have long expressed concern that he was being assisted by sympathisers, allowing him to remain at large in remote bushland.
Rogers said investigators will carry out a forensic examination of the scene that is expected to last several days and will work to establish how Phillips evaded police for so long and whether he received logistical support. Police have previously criticised community members who may have helped him to remain hidden; the children's mother has also publicly asked for such assistance to stop.
Phillips' disappearance and the family's circumstances drew mixed public reactions from the outset. Some supporters framed his actions as an unconventional attempt to raise his children outside state systems, while others, including the children's mother, described the prolonged absence as harming the children and urged the community to stop aiding him. Social media comments quoted in news reports included calls for authorities to leave Phillips alone and others portraying him as a father protecting his family; police and child welfare advocates cautioned that such portrayals conflict with the alleged criminal conduct and the risks posed to the children.
Legal restrictions in New Zealand prevent the publication of some family court details, and Rogers reiterated that the children's welfare remains the priority as they begin what she called "a long journey of recovery." Psychologists contacted by media outlets said the loss of a primary caregiver and prolonged time in isolation would likely be traumatising for children and that reintegration will require specialist support.
The injured officer remains in hospital; authorities said further updates on his condition would be provided when appropriate. Phillips' death ends a prolonged and controversial search that drew national attention, raised questions about policing tactics in remote areas and prompted calls for review of community behaviour around fugitives. In the coming days, investigators will pursue forensic leads, witness accounts and any digital or physical evidence that could clarify the sequence of events that led to the shootout and how the children were sustained while living in the bush.