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Police Minister Mark Mitchell, Police Commissioner Richard Chambers, and Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers are set to address the news media in Hamilton from 1.30pm today, September 9, in the aftermath of yesterday’s fatal shooting by police of fugitive Marokopa man Tom Phillips and the recovery of his three young children.
Franklin Times will have live coverage below of the press conference.
Chambers said he recently arrived back from Australia. His priority is to visit the injured police officer.
He is incredibly proud of the injured officer, who saved their colleague’s life.
The police’s goal was to arrest Phillips. The events of yesterday had a tragic outcome.
He acknowledges the loss of Phillips’ life. Phillips was motivated to kill a police officer, Chambers says.
Mitchell says everything the police did is with the safety of the three children in mind.
Phillips was killed, and that happened because of poor decisions he himself made.
The children are being cared for by Oranga Tamariki.
Chambers says police are working to identify where the firearms Phillips had came from.
Mitchell says Phillips had a “stockpile” of firearms and police will work to find out how Phillips obtained them.
Chambers and Mitchell have this morning met the officer who was injured when shot by Phillips yesterday.
Chambers acknowledges the hard work of many police officers around New Zealand who have been involved with the search for Phillips and his three children.
Chambers says the injured police officer was able to speak but his eyes are not open.
“He was able to share a couple of laughs, but it’s pretty hard.
“He’s a rural police officer here in the Waikato District. He’s been in the police for about three years.”
Chambers acknowledges the support from the public that police have received.
Because of the potential threat involved when police responded to the burglary yesterday additional resources were sent to the scene.
Multiple shots were fired at the police vehicle. Phillips was a “very motivated offender” and his intent was to kill the police officer.
“My police staff did everything I would expect them to do and they did it incredibly well.”
Chambers says police officers are trained to deal with such situations. There was no time to lose and the police officers involved did the right thing.
He saw four bullet holes in the police vehicle. Chambers won’t say where Phillips was shot.
A scene examination of the location where Phillips’ two other children were found is ongoing.
Over the last four years Phillips and his three children have moved frequently.
Photos of the campsite where the two missing children were located yesterday are on display at the press conference.
Chambers says police will hold people who helped Phillips evade the authorities accountable.
“There’s a lot of work to do over the next few months to help us determine if anyone else was involved.”
Chambers says police did everything possible to help to end the situation as quickly as possible, including engaging overseas law enforcement agencies.
He won’t say if the children’s mother has seen them yet.
The head of Oranga Tamariki says the children are settled and together and in the care of the agency.
Mitchell says the priority right now is to ensure the children are looked after and put on a strong and healthy pathway to recovery.
Chambers says the investigation has a long way to go and more interviews with people, including children, need to be conducted.
Chambers has been to Marokopa to see the region for himself and that has given him insight into the challenges his police colleagues have faced in trying to find Phillips and his children.
The police investigation will help them to determine how Phillips has travelled between areas.
Chambers says Phillips is “no hero”.
“No one who does this to children, no one who unleashes high-powered rifles on my staff is a hero.”
Chambers says the investigation and the events of yesterday have been very tough on a lot of his staff, but they’ve done a remarkable job.
