A New Zealand police officer is fighting for his life after being shot multiple times in the head during a deadly confrontation with fugitive father Tom Phillips, who had been hiding with his three children in remote bushland for nearly four years. The incident ended the longest manhunt in recent New Zealand history when Phillips was killed by police on September 8, 2025.
Phillips, 36, had been on the run since December 2021 with his children Ember, 9, Maverick, 10, and Jayda, 12, following a custody dispute with their mother. Police believe the family had been living off the grid in the western Waikato region, surviving on Phillips’ hunting and camping skills while evading authorities.
