The sister of the fugitive Marokopa father, Rozzi Phillips, has confirmed Tom Phillips died after being shot overnight following reports of a burglary at a commercial property in Piopio, reported by RNZ.
Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers said there was a quad bike with two occupants on it driving along Waipuna Rd, with the first officer on site meeting the offender by laying spikes down and stopping the quad bike.
She added that a police officer was shot in the head at the scene, with him being taken to the hospital, remaining in a serious condition.
This led to second responders shooting and killing a man they believed to be Tom Phillips.
Roger wouldn’t comment further on the identification. An autopsy is still to be conducted.
Phillips has been on the run with his three children for nearly four years, with multiple reported sightings and allegations of crimes involving him and the kids.
The other person on the quad bike has been confirmed to be one of the children. Police are currently searching for the other two.
“At this stage, our search is to locate those children as quickly as we can,” said Rogers.
The child is still in custody with the police.
Mother of the three tamariki, Cat, told RNZ she is relieved the ordeal is over.
“They have been dearly missed every day for nearly four years, and we are looking forward to welcoming them home with love and care.”
“At the same time, we are saddened by how events unfolded today. Our hope has always been that the children could be returned in a peaceful and safe way for everyone involved.
“We express our deepest aroha to the police officer who was injured in the line of duty.
“We also extend our aroha to those in the community who have been affected, and our heartfelt gratitude to the many people who have supported us over these past four years. Your compassion has sustained us.
“As a whānau, we are now attempting to work in cooperation with the relevant government agencies to support the safe return and reconnection of our tamariki. 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,” she told RNZ’s Mata Reports.
Police can’t comment further on the other two missing children, except to say that they have deployed teams in the area.
Police are remaining in the area for a “significant Police operation” and advise members of the public to respect the operation and cordons in place.
Leading investigator of the Marokopa case, Detective Senior Sergeant Andy Saunders, said this was not the outcome they wanted.
“We’ve got one child out safely, and our focus now is really finding the other children, getting them out safely,” he said.
He added that the child the police have in custody was cooperating, but could not comment on the circumstances at the scene.
