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The family of Tom Phillips are “absolutely gutted” that the Marokopa man shot a police officer and hope the man makes a full recovery, a spokesperson says. 

“They’re just an innocent person doing their job.” 

The spokesperson said the focus now was on the wellbeing of Phillips’ children. 

Tom Phillips died after a shootout with police who were called to reports of a burglary in the early hours of Monday. A police officer was shot multiple times and remains in hospital with significant injuries, which police have described as “survivable”. 

One of Phillips’ children, who was with him at the time, then began helping police and told them there were firearms at their campsite. 

More than 12 hours later, the remaining children were found in a remote campsite, deep in dense bush about 2km from where Phillips was shot. 

A family spokesperson, who asked not to be named, told RNZ the last week had been “beyond belief”. 

The family had always feared the four-year ordeal would end with Phillips being shot by police. 

When they received the news on Monday morning, they were in “shock”. 

The family was very sad that Phillips had shot a police officer, the spokesperson said. 

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“We’re absolutely gutted for this officer and their family ... We hope that the officer can make a full recovery.” 

The family was now turning its focus to Phillips’ children and ensuring they could “move forward with their lives”. 

“The 100% focus and priority from Monday on is the children and their wellbeing moving forward.” 

Police provided pictures of one of the campsites where Tom Phillips was living with his children. Photo / NZ Police 

The spokesperson said they had no knowledge of any members of the Phillips family helping him while he was on the run. 

The family had gone through four years of “pressure and scrutiny and media harassment”, they said. 

“It’s been very, very hard.” 

Detective Inspector Daryl Smith said yesterday that police had been examining multiple campsites since Monday’s shooting. 

“Police staff have spent the last three days canvassing the area, traversing some extremely difficult terrain, in dense bush. 

“An examination of the located sites is continuing today and is expected to be completed tomorrow.” 

Cordons along the road where the shootout happened were due to be adjusted this morning so that pupils could return to Piripiri School. 

Smith said extra police had been deployed to Marokopa and the King Country and had been working in difficult conditions. 

An autopsy was carried out on Phillips on Wednesday, and his body had been released to his family, Smith said. 

His death has been referred to the coroner. 

– Sam Sherwood, RNZ