One of Tom Phillips’ children was armed when specialist police officers approached their hideout in the bush, the Herald understands.
Sources have told the Herald that Phillips’ son, Maverick, was holding a rifle when members of the police special tactics group (STG) arrived at the site, but officers managed to persuade the 10-year-old to drop the gun.
The STG is made up of staff who are trained to deal with high-risk situations, including negotiations, and were tasked with heading into the bush in Waitomo to find Phillips’ remaining children, who were initially unaccounted for after the fugitive was shot dead on Monday.
There was a negotiation which commenced with the children
Police were unable to comment on whether one of Phillips’ children was holding a firearm as police approached with a spokesman telling the Herald the matter is part of ongoing investigations.
However, the officer overseeing the search said on Wednesday that police did enter into negotiations.
“There was a negotiation which commenced with the children, and that proceeded, and they came out,” Detective Senior Sergeant Andrew Saunders said.
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers told Herald Now the negotiators, who were “very highly trained and skilled”, went into the bush cautiously, given the risks involved in the mission.
“We had information to say a firearm was present [at the campsite] and there was,” he said.
Phillips’ elder daughter, Jayda – who was with her father the night he was shot dead – helped police pinpoint the location of the campsite where her siblings were hiding.
Chambers said Jayda was “very, very helpful” to police and also advised them on the best way to talk to the children so they didn’t feel threatened when police arrived at the site.
Jayda did not guide police through the bush in person, with Chambers saying that would have been too risky.
“We kept her not far away but far enough away that her safety wasn’t compromised,” he said.
The firearm, with ammunition, was recovered from the campsite.
A further three firearms, including a shotgun and .308 rifle, were found with Phillips when he was shot after his quad bike hit police road spikes around 3.20 on Monday morning.
It’s not known precisely how long Phillips and his children had been staying at the bush hideout, which is about 2km from where Phillips engaged police in the shootout.
Police photos of the hideout show a quad bike and motorbike partially draped in dark green weed mat, tyres, and cans of Sprite.
On Wednesday, police said they found another campsite about 200m from the first, where it appeared Phillips and his children had been sleeping and eating.
Police photos show alcohol and coffee on a makeshift bench made from black pelican cases, alongside a tent with sleeping bags inside.
A camping stove, gas canisters and a pair of adult gumboots were also visible in the photo.
Another image from the same location showed a large bivouac surrounded by ferns and trees.
Saunders described the new site as “cramped” and “dirty” but said it was likely just one of many sites where Phillips and the children had been hiding over the past four years.
Police believe others helped Phillips while on the run and have set up a separate team to investigate possible accomplices.
“Aside from the burglaries we are now able to link to Tom, it is apparent that he had outside help,” Saunders said.
Jared Savage covers crime and justice issues, with a particular interest in organised crime. He joined the Herald in 2006 and has won a dozen journalism awards in that time, including twice being named Reporter of the Year. He is also the author of Gangland, Gangster’s Paradise and Underworld.
Michael Morrah is a senior investigative reporter/team leader at the Herald. He won News Journalist of the Year at the 2025 Voyager Media Awards and has twice been named reporter of the year at the NZ Television Awards. He has been a broadcast journalist for 20 years and joined the Herald’s video team in July 2024.