As police probe the circumstances surrounding fugitive dad Tom Phillips’ death, more global news outlets have reported on the dramatic police shoot-out that ended a four-year manhunt and miraculously brought his three children out of the bush.
Phillips has gained his fair share of supporters and critics, both near and far, since disappearing with his children in December 2021.
Kiwis, and now people worldwide, have been left fascinated by the years-long pursuit of a man who evaded police and went on a subsequent crime spree in the name of protecting his kids.
Early yesterday morning, the Marokopa father was cornered on a quad bike with one of his children after a burglary at a farm supplies store in Piopio.
The incident escalated into an armed stand-off with police, which ended in his death.
The first police officer to the scene suffered critical injuries to his head and shoulder, with Police Minister Mark Mitchell telling HeraldNOW this morning it was “incredibly lucky” that he survived.
The news of his capture and death was immediately picked up by prominent British and American media organisations, including the BBC, CNN and The Guardian.
24 hours on from the initial police stand-up that broke the news, Phillips’ death continues to permeate the media space, with reports being picked up by newsrooms in the Middle East, Europe, India and elsewhere.
The Telegraph published a 1200-word explainer at 3.15am titled, “How fugitive father evaded police for four years in New Zealand wilderness”, which was given a prominent spot on its homepage.
It addressed the question “captivating NZ and the world” of how Phillips and his children were able to survive in such harsh terrain for so long.
One of the Washington Post‘s top stories today has a wrap of yesterday’s events that marked the end of “a grim saga involving backcountry reappearances, unsolved robberies and emotional pleas from family members”.
Al Jazeera reported on Phillips’ death yesterday, describing him as a “father who absconded with his three children after a dispute with his ex-partner” who “managed to continually frustrate efforts by authorities to pinpoint his whereabouts”.
The Qatari outlet has not since reported on the finding of his two remaining children.
British youth news platforms Unilad and LADBible have several of their own stories in lead trending spots, with particular interest in the kids’ mother, Cat, speaking out yesterday.
High-visibility coverage of Phillips continues through today on BBC, with an explainer of the past four years featuring in a leading homepage spot.
A Herald reporter also spoke about the police operation on BBC Radio Four last night.
Reuters, one of the world’s largest news agencies, broke their own story once police confirmed the children were “safe in custody”.
The story reverberated around the world overnight in countries whose citizens were largely asleep through the police operation.
The Mirror and The Independent in the UK, Türkiye’s state-run Anadolu Agency and India’s The Economic Times are among those who covered the operation.
Yesterday, the news led The Guardian’s website, where rolling coverage featured in a live blog.
It also included coverage from child psychologist Sara Chatwin speaking with NZ Herald NOW host Ryan Bridge talking about the potential impact of the shooting on the children.
How a Break-In Led to Capture of Off-the-Grid Fugitive Dad — and the Rescue of His 3 Children https://t.co/CRUMUcEkFD
— People (@people) September 8, 2025
CNN’s coverage earned a top spot on the website’s main page yesterday.
Phillips was fatally shot by police during a confrontation after a burglary at a shop in the Waitomo District early yesterday.
Police said they were alerted to a burglary at a commercial address in Piopio by a member of the public who called about 2.30am.
The tipper described two people breaking into a supply store – a male figure wearing a head torch and farm gear, and a shorter person, also wearing a head torch.
Based on the information provided, police said they believed the man was likely to be Tom Phillips.
After loading a quad bike with stolen items, Phillips left about 2.45am and travelled north with his child.
Police then set spikes at the intersection of Te Anga and Waipuna Rds, about 3.20am.
Several minutes later, the quad bike ran over the spikes, and came to a stop shortly after.
The man, thought to be Phillips, fired multiple shots at the first attending police officer as he exited his vehicle at the scene.
The shots struck the officer in the head and shoulder.
A second police unit was immediately on the scene, and police fired at the armed man.
Police said they provided first aid but Phillips died at the scene.
One of his children who witnessed the shoot-out helped police with their inquiries. The two other children were later found at a remote campsite at about 4.30pm.
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