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.
Member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) prevented 273 terrorist attacks and more than 3,000 crimes linked to terrorism, separa...
More than 150 people have been killed in a drone strike on a crowded market in the disputed Abyei region, South Sudanese officials said, marking on...
The C5+1 ministerial meeting in Samarkand has strengthened economic ties between the U.S. and Central Asia, with Uzbekistan securing 54 agreements ...
U.S. President Donald Trump has criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for continuing to target Russia's energy infrastructure, while Russian strikes on Kyiv overnight killed at least one person and damaged a metro station.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Norway for talks about the Russia-Ukraine war. He is expected to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who arrived in Oslo earlier. Witkoff will also meet European officials.
French President Emmanuel Macron has condemned the violence, looting and vandalism that erupted during cost-of-living protests across France. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu held crisis talks on Monday, calling for partial curfews and raising the possibility of a state of emergency.
An oil tanker caught fire after striking a naval mine in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said late Sunday.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said regional issues should be resolved through diplomacy and blamed the United States for insecurity and tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, speaking at a joint news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday.
More than 150 people have been killed in a drone strike on a crowded market in the disputed Abyei region, South Sudanese officials said, marking one of the deadliest attacks linked to Sudan's civil war since it began in April 2023.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Norway for talks about the Russia-Ukraine war. He is expected to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who arrived in Oslo earlier. Witkoff will also meet European officials.
Beijing says it deployed naval forces to monitor a U.S. warship near Sabina Shoal, while Taiwan reports a separate confrontation with a Chinese coast guard vessel near the Pratas Islands.
Tensions are mounting across Asia, with North Korea warning of war, China clashing with the U.S. and the Philippines, and protests gathering pace in Indonesia and India. Military threats, diplomatic disputes and political unrest are fuelling uncertainty across the region.
Canada’s oil-rich province of Alberta voted to remain part of the country in a non-binding referendum on Monday, 19 October, CBC News reports, delivering a much-needed victory for Prime Minister Mark Carney amid an ongoing trade war with the United States.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment