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All three children of Tom Phillips, a fugitive from New Zealand, have been safely rescued following the death of their father during a police shootout. Despite this, experts emphasize that the children will need time to work through the ‘traumatic’ events they have endured.
Acting Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers of the New Zealand Police confirmed that Maverick, aged 10, and Ember, aged 9, were located unharmed at a campsite at 4:30 pm on Monday.
The discovery came about thanks to crucial information provided by their older sibling Jayda, 12.
It comes hours after Phillips was shot dead in front of Jayda after an attempted burglary of a rural farm supply store.
Earlier that day, a witness reported seeing Phillips and his daughter Jayda, wearing farming attire and headlamps, committing theft at a PGG Wrightson store in Piopio, on New Zealand’s North Island, prompting a call to the police around 2:30 am.
Phillips and Jayda took off on their quad bike, but were stopped by police road spikes about 33km away on Te Anga Road at 3.30am.
Phillips was then confronted by a lone police officer. He shot the officer in the head with a high-powered rifle.
When a second police car turned up, Phillips was shot dead by officers and Jayda was taken into custody.
The two missing children of Tom Phillips have been found after their fugitive father was killed during a shootout with cops
The children Ember, Maverick and Jayda (pictured)
Confrontation took place near Waitomo between Phillips and a solitary police officer, whom Phillips shot in the head. When backup arrived, Phillips was fatally shot by the officers.
Phillips’ two other children, Maverick and Ember were not present, sparking an urgent bush search for the pair.
Jayda was unharmed and able to provide information that led police to find the children at a rural campsite.
Ms Rogers said the children were on their own when they were found and had been co-operating with police.
‘I can confirm that the children are well and uninjured, and they will be taken to a location this evening for medical checks,’ she said.
The children will undergo medical assessments, and authorities will collaborate closely with Oranga Tamariki, the ministry responsible for child welfare, to ensure they receive the necessary support during this challenging period.
Child psychologist Dr. Sarah Watson stated on RNZ Nights that caregivers will need to proceed with sensitivity and patience, recognizing that the children might have undergone significant trauma.
‘These children’s wellbeing, I expect, will be at the heart of this,’ she said.
Dr Watson warned that relationship building and receiving medical care could be challenging after years in the bush.
Phillips and Jayda took off on their quad bike, and were stopped by police road spikes about 33km away on Te Anga Road at 3.30am
A witness called police after spotting Phillips and his daughter Jayda, 12, dressed in ‘farm clothing’ and wearing headlamps, and robbing PGG Wrightson, a rural farm supply store in Piopio, in western Waikato, on the country’s North Island, at 2.30am
‘All these things could be potentially new for them, and potentially scary. It’s a lot,’ she said.
‘Children can be incredibly resilient and cope with a lot, but some kids can be really affected by these things, so only time will tell if they can manage and cope.
‘These agencies… will need to do that respectfully, slowly and also allow them the supports of therapists, counsellors, psychologists around them, so they have the chance to process what may well have been quite traumatic, depending on what they have seen and experienced.’
The male constable injured in the shootout with Phillips was airlifted to hospital in a critical condition.
He has undergone ‘the first of many surgeries after being shot multiple times’ – including in the eye.
Phillips’ father, Neville, and brother, Ben, lashed out when approached by local news organisation Stuff while working on the family farm at Marokopa.
‘You don’t know what it’s like to be shafted by the cops several times,’ the father told the publication. ‘Just put yourself in our shoes.’
The children’s mother Cat earlier broke her silence in a statement.
Jayda Phillips was located at the scene of the shootout
The children were found almost a year after a ‘credible’ sighting of Phillips and his children in bushland west of Marokopa last October
‘We are deeply relieved that for our tamariki (the Māori word for children) this ordeal has come to an end,’ she said.
‘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.’
Cat also expressed her love to the police officer injured in the incident.
‘We also extend our aroha (love) 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,’ Cat continued.
‘As a whānau (family), 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.’
Phillips vanished from the rural town of Marokopa on New Zealand’s North Island in December 2021 with his three children following a custody dispute with their mother.
They are believed to have lived in the wilderness ever since, despite numerous police search operations and a NZ$80,000 reward.
There have been several possible sightings in the last year.
Police recently released footage of Phillips and one of his children captured on CCTV using an angle grinder to break into the Piopio Superette general store.
It came days after Phillips’ family broke their silence for the first time in almost four years.
