DID THE POLICE LIE? — Leaked audio of the exchange between officers and Tom Phillips before the tra:gedy exposes a truth that left everyone in sh0ck

Audio of police communications on the night Tom Phillips died reveals an incredible police operation, local officers using their knowledge of the area to narrow down his likely escape route and even involving civilians in the chase by phone. And then the dramatic finale as one officer shouts “shots fired, shots fired”. TONY WALL goes inside the police operation that ended in bloodshed.

It starts with a lone cop parked on a hill overlooking Piopio, his lights off. Down below, in the small Waitomo town, two people – thought at the time to possibly be Tom Phillips and one of his children – are breaking into a PGG Wrightson store.

A short time later, a quad bike drives past the officer, who is parked at the corner of Kea St and Mairoa Rd.

The officer waits until it’s gone past, and then starts following with his lights off.

“He doesn’t know I’m tracking him, I’m way behind,” the officer tells the police communications centre over his radio.

Other units are being dispatched from the Otorohanga area. Someone asks if the Auckland-based Eagle helicopter is available.

The officer trailing the quad bike asks the comms operator to look up the number for a local farmer who lives further up Mairoa Rd and ask him if he can hear a bike.

There are several roads up ahead that it could potentially take.

Police responded to reports of a burglary at a PGG Wrightson store in Piopio before dawn on Monday.Ricky Wilson / STUFF

The officer sees the quad bike pass Kihikihi Rd and keep heading north on Mairoa Rd.

He advises that it’s a light night and the quad bike has its headlights off – the driver is just using a head torch.

He starts giving directions to the other units coming in from the north, advising that Mairoa Rd will eventually join up with Waipuna Rd, which comes out on Te Anga Rd about 10km west of Waitomo Caves.

“Copy, I’ll perch up along there somewhere,” another officer says. He’s on his way to that intersection.

The comms operator has spoken to the farmer – they haven’t heard a quad bike but heard what they thought was a ute earlier, which is out of character.

Suddenly the trailing officer says: “The bike has seen me, it’s stopped in the middle of the road. “I’ll put my lights on now because he’s seen me, but he’s headed off.”

Tom Phillips, accompanied by one of his children, allegedly burgled a superette in Piopio 10 days before police’s manhunt came to an end.John Harford / Stuff

The operator asks how many are on the bike, the officer says there were two when it first went past him back in Piopio.

He says there appears to be some sort of “tank” or drum on the back, “same as the photo the other day”, meaning CCTV of a previous burglary Phillips was suspected of committing in Piopio.

The operator wants to know if the officer is armed.

“Yeah, affirmative.”

He loses sight of the bike and is worried it might take an alternate route.

The comms operator says the farmer has called back – they’ve heard the quad bike pass their house, but can’t be sure if it’s continued along Mairoa Rd or turned right into nearby Opurere Rd.

The trailing officer believes it’s more likely the bike has continued north along Mairoa Rd towards the intersection of Ngapaenga and Waipuna roads.

He asks comms to look up a number for someone down Ngapaenga Rd and get them to keep an ear out.

Meanwhile he says he’ll start looking for tracks in the gravel.

Someone advises that officers should not approach. “We’re still gonna get Eagle to locate the party.”

The helicopter is estimated to be 25 minutes away.

The trailing officer says: “From the marks on the metal road, it looks like Waipuna Rd is the lucky road.”

That means the quad is heading north towards Te Anga Rd.

An officer has arrived at that T intersection.

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“Waipuna Rd is pretty narrow this end, any thoughts on spikes?,” he asks. “Ah … yes I suppose you could spike – that would be a good option,” replies someone else.

More units are arriving in the area and asking where to go.

Police had been trying to locate Tom Phillips and his three children for nearly four years.DAVID WHITE/STUFF

The officer at the corner of Waipuna and Te Anga advises the spikes are in position, but only cover about two thirds of the road.

“I’m just trying to find a spot to park up, it’s pretty narrow and windy here. I haven’t really got anywhere to hide, so I’m kind of just on the road at this stage.”

Someone else says: “Just put yourself in the best safe position you can.”

The comms centre advises they’ve spoken to a resident who has heard a motorbike but it didn’t appear to have its lights on.

The officer at the intersection says he can hear the bike coming and it’s “probably a couple of minutes out”.

Someone advises that “Eagle is about 10 away”.

The bike is only 30 seconds away now.

“Over spikes, over spikes,” the officer says.

He advises the bike has turned left into Te Anga Rd and is heading west towards Marokopa.

“The vehicle is in front of me … it’s got two flat front tyres,”

Then: “He’s gone off the road. How far away are you?”

Then a desperate call: “Shots fired, shots fired.”

A bit later another officer says an officer has been shot, but is breathing and “co-operative”.

An aerial image shows the aftermath of fugitive father Tom Phillips’ last stand.Mark Taylor / Waikato Times

“I need a helo (helicopter) to me ASAP.”

A road ambulance is also called for.

Someone says a male, “Tom Phillips, looks like he’s been shot also”.

He is in handcuffs and “under control”.

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The other person, one of Phillips’ children, is also in custody.

The officer with the shot cop says he’s been shot in the right shoulder and the forehead, possibly a graze.

The quad bike Tom Phillips was driving shortly before he was shot dead by police.Stuff

“It’s still quite a gnarly injury.”

Another officer says first aid is being given to the male – Phillips.

Someone reports the shot officer is conscious and talking and behind a squad car.

The Eagle helicopter lands nearby. An ambulance arrives by road and the wounded officer is loaded onto a stretcher. He’s put into the ambulance for assessment, then transferred to the Westpac rescue helicopter, which has arrived at the scene.

He’s flown to Waikato Hospital.

The bush campsite where Tom Phillips and his children had been living.NZ POLICE

Phillips is pronounced dead at the scene. Later that day, police found his other children at a remote bush campsite about 2km away, bringing to an end a saga that had spanned nearly four years.