Sept. 8 (UPI) — Police on Monday shot and killed a man they believe is a suspect who had evaded capture for more than 3 1/2 years after he disappeared into rural New Zealand with his three children.
Police have been hunting Tom Phillips since December 2021 when took his three children — Ember, Maverick and Jayda — into the New Zealand bush, with only brief sightings reported since.
Phillips faced a range of charges including aggravated robbery, aggravated wounding and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Police shot and killed Phillips early Monday following a reported burglary in Piopio, a North Island town home to around 400 people located about 280 miles north of the capital Wellington. One officer was seriously injured in the shooting, and was undergoing surgery, authorities said.
“The formal identification of this male has yet to take place but we believe him to be Tom Phillips,” acting Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers with New Zealand Police told reporters during a press conference.
One of his three children was with him, and is receiving care, Rogers said, adding that they “hold serious concerns” for the welfare of his other two children.
“We are making urgent inquiries to locate Tom Phillips’ other children,” she said.
“Our focus is finding them.”
Ember is now 9 years old, Maverick is 10 and Jayda 12.
An early morning burglary of a rural supply store in Piopio was reported to police at around 2:30 a.m. NZST, authorities said.
The member of the public reported to authorities that the store was being burgled by a man wearing a headlamp and farm clothing and “a shorter person” also wearing a headlamp, police said.
The two suspects loaded their all-terrain vehicle with the alleged stolen wares and fled the scene at about 2:45 a.m., authorities said.
A statement from New Zealand Police states that based on the descriptions provided, officers believed that man was likely Philips, and additional resources were called in.
Police laid spikes at an intersection at about 3:20 a.m., with the suspect driving over them minutes later, and coming to a stop shortly after.
The suspect then fired multiple rounds at the responding officer, who was shot as he was exiting his police vehicle and fell to the ground, Rogers said.
A statement from New Zealand Police said the officer was struck twice, once in the head and once in the shoulder.
The suspect was then fired upon by a second police unit that arrived at the scene, “incapacitating him,” the statement said.
First aid was provided to the suspect, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The injured officer was airlifted to the hospital in critical condition at about 4:50 a.m. and was undergoing surgery as Rogers was speaking to reporters. She said he would require multiple surgeries.
“This has been a deeply traumatic incident this morning for those involved,” she said. “It has been confronting and challenging in a small rural, isolated location.”
Rogers said multiple firearms were located on and near the all-terrain vehicle. Though she would not state the number nor specify what type of firearms were retrieved, she did say the wounded officer had been shot with a high-powered rifle.
Phillips had initially disappeared into the New Zealand bush with his children in September 2021, but then emerged two weeks later.
Then they disappeared again in December of that year. An arrest warrant was issued for Phillips after he failed to appear in court in January 2022.
Only brief sightings had been reported since.
In late August, police released CCTV footage believed to show Phillips during a Piopio business burglary.
Images released by police seemingly showed Phillips and one of his children attempting to break into the business early Aug. 27.
Rogers said dozens of officers are currently looking for the two other children.