New Zealand fugitive father killed in shootout with police

PIOPIO, New Zealand: A New Zealand father who spent nearly four years on the run with his children was killed in a police shootout on Monday (Sep 8), authorities said.

Tom Phillips, who absconded with his three children in December 2021 after a row with his former partner, died in the rolling hill country of the North Island's Waikato region.

Phillips' case captivated the country, particularly in the Waikato area and the town of Marokopa, where he was suspected of hiding.

The family eluded capture for nearly four years despite several sightings, including CCTV apparently showing Phillips and a child breaking into a store last month.

But on Monday, police said Phillips had been killed after shooting an officer in the head and shoulder with a high-powered rifle after police had been called to a potential burglary.

The officer who was shot was airlifted to hospital and was undergoing surgery, New Zealand Police Acting Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers said.

Rogers described the wound as "survivable", but critical.

Images of the scene taken by the Waikato Times show Phillips in the middle of the road, with a rifle in a ditch metres away.

Several bullet holes can be seen in the police vehicles.

Two of Phillips' children remain missing, and police have launched a large search operation to find them.

Another of his children was at Monday's shooting and was taken into custody.

They were uninjured and now helping police with their investigation, including in suggesting places their siblings could be hiding.

The children are believed to be 9, 10 and 12.

DEADLY CONFRONTATION

Rogers said she believed the children were on their own in the bush, and she was concerned about the expected freezing temperatures overnight.

About 50 police officers are searching for the children, including armed officers.

Rogers wouldn't say if she believed the two children could be armed.

Two police officers with knowledge of the case told AFP under condition of anonymity that authorities had long feared the Phillips case would end in a shootout.

"We were always worried it could end in a deadly confrontation," one of the officers, who was not authorised to speak to the media, said.

Police believed Phillips had several people helping him evade capture, providing food and accommodation since he fled.

They received sporadic reports as to the health of the children and decided against a full-on search for the family so as not to threaten their safety.

In recent weeks, they believed Phillips's support network may have crumbled, leading to more brazen burglaries.

"If you went to Marokopa, half the town seemed to support him and half the town thought he was a criminal," an officer told AFP.

"But more recently, his support seemed to be running thin."

Since fleeing in 2021, police suspected Phillips of committing several crimes and charged him with aggravated robbery, aggravated wounding and unlawful possession of a firearm.

The mother of the three children, known as Cat, said she was relieved the ordeal had ended.

"They have been dearly missed every day for nearly four years, and we are looking forward to welcoming them home with love and care," she told national broadcaster RNZ about her children.

"At the same time, we are saddened by how events unfolded today."

She asked for the family's privacy to be respected as the children reintegrate into a "stable and loving environment" after "a long and difficult journey".