00:00At about 2.30am today, police received a call from a member of the public that they believed
00:07they were witnessing a burglary in action at a rural farm supply store in Piu Piu.
00:13Information came to police that described two people on a quad bike,
00:19dressed in farm clothing and wearing headlamps. Knowing the information that we had previously
00:25had that had seen Tom Phillips also in this area, additional staff were called out and
00:33responded to that location. The quad bike was observed travelling along the Waipuna Road,
00:41which is a rural gravel road that intersects with Teanga Road, which is the main road that
00:47leads back to Marukopa. At about 3.20am this morning, officers laid spikes at that intersection
00:55location. The quad bike has run over the spikes, the two occupants have been on that bike and
01:03it has come to a rest on this rural road a short time later. The first attending police officer
01:11at that scene has come across that stopped quad bike and been confronted by gunfire at close range.
01:19Our officer has been struck in the head. He has immediately fallen to the ground and taken cover.
01:27Soon after, a second patrol unit arrived and has engaged the offender and he has died at the scene.
01:41We were also supported by the air support unit from Auckland who have landed and despite the efforts of
01:53attending staff and the air support team, this male was pronounced dead at the scene.
01:59The formal identification of this male is yet to take place but we believe him to be Tom Phillips.
02:06A second person was located at the scene and multiple firearms were located on and around the quad bike.
02:15Our injured officer has been airlifted to Waikato Hospital by the Westpac Rescue and he is undergoing surgery as we speak.
02:26He has received critical injuries and will require numerous surgeries.
02:35As you can appreciate, a significant investigation is now underway.
02:39So there will be a large police presence in the Marukopa area, particularly around Teanga Road.
02:45We are making urgent enquiries to locate Tom Phillips' other children who we hold serious concerns for.
02:57The child located at the scene is being provided wraparound support and we will not be providing any other comment at this time on their location.
03:08We have been in touch with the family of Tom Phillips and we will be working to provide them available support.
03:17We are also providing support to our staff member who has been injured and the other staff who were on scene.
03:24This has been a deeply traumatic incident this morning for those involved.
03:29It has been confronting and challenging in a small, rural, isolated location.
03:37I understand that you will have a number of questions about this incident but at this time we have very limited information that we can provide to you.
03:44A critical incident investigation has been commenced and we are now working to establish a complete timeline of the events as they have unfolded this morning.
03:56The IPCA has been notified as we are required to do in incidents of this nature and we will release further information to you as soon as we are able to do so.
04:06As I said at the earlier briefing this afternoon we would provide you further information as soon as we knew anything else.
04:13And I can tell you with great relief this evening that soon after 4.30 today we have located Tom Phillips' remaining children.
04:23They have been found in a campsite not far from here, further up the Tianga Road and they are with police officers now and being removed from that location.
04:36I can confirm that the children are well and uninjured and they will be taken to a location this evening for medical checks.
04:47I want to acknowledge the people who have worked on the ground today and those that have been part of this difficult and taxing investigation for the four years that Tom Phillips and his children have remained outstanding.
05:17I will use.
05:19The world is also known for the first sight in the Hause in そうco's country and his children, in fifth often, rather the children have won 7 persons, 30 persons.
05:22And lies and others are known as much during this tour as an unknown enterprise but there is not 16 or Jr.
05:25Usually Felice , we Coast guard these people directly from around 7000 is to ensure that our residents are out of all our students,
05:28such as school people like at 9000 has ever 200 quarters stephands are leading to an attractions for theitalia of the state.
