By Renju Jose
SYDNEY (Reuters) -A New Zealand fugitive father shot dead by police put his children at risk with his actions and had “no regard” for their safety, authorities said on Tuesday, as police found quad bikes and ammunition at their campsite hideout.
Tom Phillips disappeared with his three children, now aged 9, 10, and 12, in late 2021 and had been on the run across the remote area in New Zealand’s Waikato region, in a case that gripped the nation over his ability to evade arrest.
A police officer was shot several times with a high-powered rifle and seriously injured on Monday in the attempt to arrest Phillips, while a second officer shot Phillips, who died at the scene despite efforts to save him.
Police Minister Mark Mitchell said Phillips’ actions had “quite literally put his children in harm’s way.”
“Phillips had no regard for the safety of those children. He seemed to be solely motivated in terms of what he wanted to do and how things were impacting him.”
Phillips failed to attend a court hearing in 2022 and had been pursued by police ever since. He evaded authorities by hiding out in Waikato’s thick bush and remote farmland.
New Zealand’s Ministry of Children official Warwick Morehu said the children “are doing well under the circumstances and engaging with the staff”.
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers said Phillips and the children moved around their hideouts frequently through “a challenging terrain” hampering chances of capturing them.
The image of the campsite released by police showed quad bikes among trees partially covered by blankets.
Police will investigate if anyone was assisting Phillips when he was hiding and how he had access to several firearms, Chambers said.
“There is a lot of work to do to try and understand who, if anybody, may have been assisting Phillips … hopefully we will understand where those firearms have come from, who has provided them, and how he has managed to acquire them,” he added.
(Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Saad Sayeed)
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