Overview

• Police were called about 2:30 a.m. to a burglary at a rural farm supply store in Piopio and deployed road spikes for a fleeing quad bike carrying stolen items.
• After the quad bike hit the spikes and stopped, the first attending officer was shot at close range and struck in the head before a second officer returned fire, killing the suspect.
• Acting Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers said formal identification is pending, but police believe the dead man is Tom Phillips.
• One child with the suspect was taken into custody and is receiving support, while urgent searches continue for two siblings; multiple firearms were recovered and a second person was arrested.
• A large police operation and cordons are in place in the Waitomo/Waikato area, and the wounded officer is in critical condition undergoing surgery at Waikato Hospital.