New Zealand Police Shoot Fugitive Father

(MENAFN) A New Zealand man who had been evading authorities with his three children for nearly four years was fatally shot by police early Monday, media reports.

The man, believed to be Tom Phillips, was killed following an armed burglary at a farm supplies store in Piopio, a rural town in the Waikato region on New Zealand’s North Island. One child was with Phillips during the incident and was unharmed, while two others remain missing, police confirmed.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers verified Phillips’ death and stated that police would release further details later Monday.

According to media, Phillips was discovered on a quad bike with one child shortly after the burglary. During the ensuing standoff, he allegedly shot a police officer in the head. The injured officer is hospitalized and expected to recover.

Phillips was then shot and killed by a second responding officer.

Phillips disappeared from the family farm in Marokopa in December 2021, taking his three children, then aged 8, 7, and 5. Police believe Phillips took the children to a location somewhere in western Waikato after a custody dispute with their mother, who did not have legal custody.

Authorities say Phillips committed multiple burglaries while in hiding. The case had drawn significant national attention, with surveillance footage recently showing Phillips and one child during a grocery store break-in. Phillips’ family had publicly appealed for his return.

The children’s mother told media on Monday that they had been “dearly missed every day for nearly four years” and she looked forward to welcoming them home “with love and care.”

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