Three children and a hiding fugitive in New Zealand’s dense wilderness were shot dead in an armed conflict with police on Monday, leaving three children under police control and a search for their family for nearly four years.
Thomas Phillips and his children were thought to be 9, 10 and 12 years old – have been evading police in remote areas of the country’s North Island since December 2021, causing a manhunt that grabbed the country.
Phillips’ run time ended early Monday as police responded to and chased in a farm in a small, rural town.
Police said the officer was injured in the confrontation after being shot in the head at close range with a powerful rifle.
One of the children was found along with Phillips. Following a massive, emergency search operation involving helicopters, police announced that two other children have been placed themselves at a remote campground in a dense bush near a small rural town in Marocopa on the sturdy west coast of New Zealand’s Waikato region.
“They are now with police officers and are being removed from the location,” deputy commissioner Jill Rogers told reporters Monday afternoon.
“You can make sure the kids are fine and not injured. They will be taken to the location tonight for medical checks,” he said.
Phillips first disappeared in September 2021 along with his children (Jada, Maverick and Ember) and launched a massive search of the land and the ocean.
They reappeared a few weeks later on a nearby farm belonging to the Phillips family. However, he and his children disappeared again that December after Phillips wasted police time.
Police believe the father lives off the grid, using survival skills to feed, evacuate and dress their children, but despite some sightings, seeking help and police searches, the family’s location remained a mystery. Each new sighting has become global headlines.
Earlier on Monday, local police were called to report an invasion at a produce store in Poipoi, a town with fewer than 500 people in the West Waikato area where Phillips is believed to be hidden.
A bicycle from a two-wheeled farm departed town on a gravel road, and police chased after him. The road spikes were installed near the intersection of the gravel road, approximately 30km.
“The quad bike ran through the spikes. Two residents were on it and rested on this country road. After a while, the first officer in the scene stopped the quad bike and faced a close range shooting,” Rogers said.
The officer was getting out of his police car when he was hit in the head and then hid in the car. Another police officer arrived at the scene seconds later and shot a man believed to be Phillips.
Although no official identification has been made yet, Rogers told reporters Monday. “I believe he is Tom Phillips.”
His sister, Lotzi Phillips, confirmed to CNN affiliate and public broadcaster RNZ that he had been killed.
Rogers confirmed that one of the missing children, believed to be the other person on the farm’s bike, was on the scene.
Multiple firearms were placed in and around the quad bike while the injured officer was airlifted to Waikato Hospital for surgery.
Rogers said officers had “serious injuries” that required multiple surgeries, but police had been notified that they were “survivable.”
Police have repeatedly expressed serious concerns about children, Maverick and Ember, who have not been in touch with their mother since December 2021.
“Along with supporting our injured colleagues and his (family), we have a lot of police staff who are actively looking for children who are our number one priority at this stage and who will remain our number one priority at this stage,” Rogers said.
The mother of a child, known as the CAT, said in a statement to CNN affiliate RNZ on Monday morning that she was “deeply relieved that our (children) have finished this ordeal.”
“They’ve been missing out on their hearts every day for nearly four years. We look forward to welcoming them to their home with love and attention,” she said.
“At the same time, we are saddened by how today’s events unfold. Our hopes have always been that our children will be returned in a peaceful and safe way for all involved.”
Just two weeks ago, law enforcement released security camera footage of what they believed were Phillips and one of the children involved in an early morning break-in at a convenience store in the same town as filmed Monday.
Police last June provided a New Zealand $80,000 ($52,000) reward, providing information that led to the location and safe returns.
Phillips’ series of crimes involved an armed bank robbery seen in May 2023 with security cameras in which two people escaped with cash on motorbikes.
Phillips was already facing a variety of charges, including worsening robbery, worsening injuries and illegal possession of a firearm.
