Overview

• Police say a high-powered rifle was used to shoot an officer in the head and shoulder during the confrontation near Piopio, leaving him in critical but survivable condition and requiring multiple surgeries.
• One child with Phillips at the scene was uninjured and taken into custody, and the other two were located hours later unaccompanied at a remote campsite and placed in protective care.
• Formal identification is pending, but authorities believe the deceased is Phillips, who was stopped after a reported burglary with road spikes that halted a quad bike carrying stolen items.
• Investigators recovered firearms and a cache of belongings at the campsite, with images showing tarpaulins, a quad bike and supplies that suggest a temporary base.
• Phillips had been wanted on charges including aggravated robbery, aggravated wounding and unlawful possession of a firearm, with rare sightings captured in a 2024 hunters' video and in August 2025 CCTV.