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Police are searching for the two remaining missing Phillips children after Tom Phillips was killed in an incident in western Waikato early this morning.
Phillips disappeared into the remote Waikato bush in late 2021 with his three children, Jayda, Maverick and Ember.
Speaking to the media in Hamilton this morning, Police Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers says that just after 2.30am police received a call from a member of the public who said they believed they were witnessing a burglary in progress.
Two people were seen riding on a quad bike. At about 3.20am, police laid road spikes at the intersection of Waipuna and Te Anga roads, she says.
The quad bike went over the road spikes on the rural, gravel Waipuna road and came to a stop. The first attending police officer on the scene came across the quad bike and was shot at.
“He was struck [shot] in the head and immediately fell to the ground, then took cover inside his vehicle,” Rogers says. She says the offender used a “high-powered” rifle.
A second patrol unit arrived at the scene and shot the alleged offender, who was still armed. He died at the scene.
The formal identification of the suspect has not yet taken place, but police believe he is Tom Phillips. Phillips’ sister has confirmed his death following the incident overnight.
The injured police officer was flown to Waikato Hospital by helicopter. The officer received critical injuries and Rogers says he will “numerous surgeries”.
Police have been in touch with Phillips’ family, and they are providing the family with support.
Rogers says the incident this morning was “deeply traumatic” for those involved.
The second person found at the scene is a child, and they are being cared for, Rogers says.
The child was not injured and is being provided with “wrap-around support.”
Police are actively searching for Phillips’ two other missing children.
Jayda, Maverick and Ember were 8, 7 and 5-years-old when they went missing almost four years ago. They are now 12, 10 and 9-years-old.
Rogers says Oranga Tamariki and police are providing support for the families’ and children.
Police found multiple firearms, and the officer who was injured was shot with a high-powered rifle.
Rogers says it’s a “devastating outcome” for all the people involved.
Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Andrew Saunders says he is feeling “mixed emotions.”
“This is devastating, this is not the outcome we wanted,” he says.
“We’ve got one child out safely and our focus is on finding the remaining two.”
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has been briefed on the situation, as has Police Minister Mark Mitchell.
Luxon declined to comment, saying he would leave it to the police to provide more information.
