Marokopa man Tom Phillips has been fatally shot by police after firing at an officer in Waikato this morning, with police taking one of his children into custody and “urgent inquiries” underway to locate the other two.
In a media conference at the Hamilton Central Police Station, Deputy Police Commissioner Jill Rogers said police responded to a report of a burglary at a rural farm supply store in Piopio at 2.30am on Monday.
“Information came to police that describes two people on a quad bike, dressed in farm clothing and wearing headlamps,” Rogers said.
The quad bike was then seen travelling north along the Waipuna Rd, with police spiking the quad bike at the intersection with Te Anga Rd.
“The two occupants have been on that bike, and it has come to a rest on this rural road.”
The first attending officer was “confronted by gunfire at close range” and was struck in the head. They were airlifted to Waikato Hospital and would require “numerous surgeries”.
A second patrol unit arrived and engaged Phillips, who died at the scene.
“The formal identification of this male is yet to take place, but we believe him to be Tom Phillips,” Rogers said.
Rogers confirmed one of the missing Marokopa children was involved in this morning’s incident and was now in police custody.
“The child located at the scene is being provided wraparound support and we will not be providing any other comment at this time on their location.”
Earlier this morning police said they were responding to a “critical incident” in western Waikato.
A 1News camera operator at the scene said the cordon extended for around 2km in each direction on part of Te Anga Rd. Waitomo District Council said this road block would likely remain for a “couple of days”.
Some locals said there had been unusual traffic overnight, and multiple helicopters overhead.
The Police Eagle helicopter was in the area for a short time, but now appeared to have returned to Auckland.
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1News footage from the scene showed a heavy police presence this morning. (Source: 1News)
‘Looking forward to welcoming them home with love and care’
The mother of the children Cat has released a statement via Mata with Mihingarangi.
“The events of this morning have brought up a wave of complex emotions for our whānau,” she said.
“First and foremost, we are deeply relieved that for our tamariki this ordeal has come to an end. They have been dearly missed every day for nearly four years, and we are looking forward to welcoming them home with love and care.
“At the same time, we are saddened by how events unfolded today. Our hope has always been that the children could be returned in a peaceful and safe way for everyone involved.
“We express our deepest aroha to the police officer who was injured in the line of duty.
“We also extend our aroha to those in the community who have been affected, and our heartfelt gratitude to the many people who have supported us over these past four years. Your compassion has sustained us.
“As a whānau, we are now attempting to work in cooperation with the relevant government agencies to support the safe return and reconnection of our tamariki. They have endured a long and difficult journey, and we ask for privacy as we help them adjust and reintegrate into a stable and loving environment.”
Last month’s burglary
Last month, police released CCTV footage of two masked individuals, who police believed to be Phillips and one of his children, breaking into a store in Piopio on August 27.
The pair, who travelled in and out on a quad bike, were in the area for 13 minutes, and police had considered whether the burglary signalled a potential “falling out” with those helping him, or if he was just “brazen and confident”.
In November 2023, Phillips was the prime suspect in a similar break in at the store.
Phillips and his three children – Jayda, Maverick and Ember – have been missing since their father took them from Marokopa, a rural and isolated town, to an unknown location in December 2021.
Despite multiple police operations and rewards offered to find them, there was no success. They were in the middle of their fourth winter in hiding before today’s update.
The detective in charge of the hunt for Phillips, Detective Senior Sergeant Andrew Saunders, had long maintained that negotiations with the fugitive had “always been on the table”.
Phillips’ disappearance in December 2021 came after he was charged with wasting police resources for a previous disappearance with the kids in September.
Since then, efforts to find the fugitive family – which included numerous searches of the area and an $80,000 reward – proved futile.
Phillips was an experienced bushman, and it was long understood that others were helping him stay off the grid for many years.
Phillips lost custody of the children and faced more charges in connection with an alleged bank robbery in Te Kūiti, which took place while he was on the run.
In October last year, Phillips and his three children were filmed walking on farmland about 3km south of Marokopa by young pig hunters. It was the last confirmed sighting of the four.
Also last month, Phillips’ sister Rozzi revealed their mother Julia had written a letter to her son and his kids.
The letter was described as being “from a mother’s heart, just to her son”.
“Tom – I feel really sad that you thought you had to do this,” her letter said.
