Skip to main content
See every side of every news story
Published loading...Updated

Man Believed to Be Fugitive Tom Phillips Shot Dead by New Zealand Police After Waikato Burglary

Tom Phillips evaded capture for nearly four years after fleeing custody dispute; police fatal shooting followed a burglary, with one child taken into custody and two still missing.

  • A New Zealand man believed to be Tom Phillips was shot dead by police after a burglary on September 8, 2025, according to authorities.
  • One child was safely taken into custody after the incident, while the other two children were found hours later unaccompanied in rugged forest, as reported by Acting Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers.
  • The children's mother, identified as Cat, expressed relief that the ordeal for her children had ended, stating they were deeply missed.
  • Tom Phillips had been evading authorities with his three children for nearly four years.
Insights by Ground AI
Does this summary seem wrong?

135 Articles

Lean Right

Last air raids showed us giants in the forest, camouflages and mochiles on the coast. Tom Phillips was shot by the police. The 3 children, with whom he fled 4 years ago, are safe.

·Portugal
Read Full Article
Lean Left

Tom Phillips, who had been on the run in the bush for the past four years with his three children, was shot dead by New Zealand police overnight local time. He was killed in a shootout with officers after he robbed a farm equipment store.

Center

After living on the run with their father Tom Phillips for four years, they should find their mother, after medical examinations. ...

·Brussels, Belgium
Read Full Article
Lean Left

The fugitive, Tom Phillips, was hiding in a remote area after having volatilized in 2021 with his children of 9, 10 and 12 years old. After a long hunt, he was shot dead by the police on Monday 8 September.

·Paris, France
Read Full Article
KRDOKRDO
Reposted by
KVIAKVIA
Center

By Todd Symons, CNN A fugitive father hiding with his three children in the dense New Zealand wilderness was shot and killed in a gun battle with police Monday. It led to his three children being taken into police custody, ending a nearly four-year search for the family. Thomas Phillips and his children, believed to be 9, 10, and 12, had been evading police in a remote area of the North Island since December 2021, sparking a manhunt that sent sh…

·Colorado Springs, United States
Read Full Article
Think freely.Subscribe and get full access to Ground NewsSubscriptions start at $9.99/yearSubscribe

Bias Distribution

  • 39% of the sources lean Left
39% Left

Factuality 

To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium

Ownership

To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage

U.S. News broke the news in New York, United States on Sunday, September 7, 2025.
Sources are mostly out of (0)
News
For You
Search
BlindspotLocal