The children of late fugitive Tom Phillips have been found safe after four years in hiding, just hours after their father was shot and killed by police during a confrontation in rural New Zealand.
Acting Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers confirmed that the children were discovered at a campsite around 4:30 p.m. Monday. She described them as safe and well. Their recovery came only hours after Phillips was fatally shot while allegedly committing a burglary.
Authorities said the drama began early Monday when a witness reported seeing two figures, believed to be Phillips and his 12-year-old daughter Jayda, wearing “farm clothing” and headlamps while raiding a PGG Wrightson rural supply store in Piopio. The sighting, made around 2:30 a.m., triggered a police response.
The pair fled on a quad bike but were intercepted roughly an hour later, about 33 kilometers away on Te Anga Road, where police deployed road spikes. Phillips then confronted a lone officer and opened fire with a high-powered rifle, striking the officer in the head.
Backup units soon arrived. Police returned fire, killing Phillips, while Jayda was taken into custody. His other two children, Maverick, 10, and Ember, 9, were not with them, sparking an urgent search that ended with their discovery later in the day.
“I can confirm that the children are well and uninjured, and they will be taken to a location this evening for medical checks,” Rogers said. Police Commissioner Richard Chambers praised the officers involved, saying, “This is a result of incredible work by police who had to contend with a high-risk situation and difficult circumstances both earlier this morning and throughout the day.
I want to acknowledge our colleague who was shot and faces a long recovery.” The injured officer was flown to the hospital in critical condition and has already undergone “the first of many surgeries after being shot multiple times,” officials confirmed.
Phillips had been on the run with his three children since December 2021 after disappearing from the Waikato community of Marokopa. He was later accused of a 2023 bank robbery and had been the subject of a lengthy manhunt. The children were last seen with him in October 2024, walking across farmland near Marokopa, and are believed to have survived largely in the wild.
Their mother, Cat, expressed relief in a statement. “We are deeply relieved that for our tamariki this ordeal has come to an end. 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 added that while the outcome was tragic, the family’s focus is now on helping the children heal. “They have endured a long and difficult journey, and we ask for privacy as we help them adjust and reintegrate into a stable and loving environment.”