Fugitive Tom Phillips Killed After Dramatic Police Shootout in Waikato
It has been confirmed that New Zealand fugitive Tom Phillips, who had been on the run for nearly four years, was shot dead during a violent confrontation with police in the Waikato region. The incident unfolded early Monday morning after police responded to reports of a ram-raid burglary at a farming supply store in the small town of Piopio.
According to police, what began as a routine response to a burglary quickly escalated into a deadly exchange of gunfire. Phillips, who was armed with multiple firearms, opened fire at officers. One officer was shot in the head at close range and remains in critical condition after undergoing emergency surgery. A second officer returned fire, and Phillips was fatally struck. Despite first aid being administered, he died at the scene. His death was later confirmed by his sister, though formal identification by police is still pending.
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For many New Zealanders, the name Tom Phillips has been associated with mystery and tension since December 2021, when he vanished into the Waikato bushland with his three young children, following what was believed to be a custody dispute. Over the years, there were sporadic sightings of the family, but Phillips managed to evade authorities, at times surfacing only to be linked with burglaries and robberies in the region.
On the morning of the shootout, one of his daughters was found with him and was taken into custody. Police say she is receiving wraparound support. The two remaining children, Ember and Maverick, are still missing, and locating them has now been declared the “number one priority” for authorities.
The children’s mother, who has lived with uncertainty for nearly four years, spoke publicly after news of Phillips’s death. She expressed relief that the ordeal for her children may finally be drawing to a close, saying they had been “dearly missed every day.” At the same time, she acknowledged the sadness of how events had ended, stressing that her hope had always been for the children’s safe and peaceful return.
Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers described the shootout as a deeply traumatic event, particularly for a small rural town like Piopio. She emphasized that the safety of the missing children remains at the forefront of police efforts.
For the people of New Zealand, the story of Tom Phillips has been a tense and troubling saga—one that mixed questions of custody, crime, and survival in the wilderness. With Phillips now dead, attention has shifted urgently to the wellbeing and recovery of the two children still unaccounted for. The manhunt that gripped the country for years has reached its violent conclusion, but the search for answers—and for the children—continues.
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