The police officer shot in the head and shoulder during a confrontation with fugitive father Tom Phillips is recovering in hospital, where he remains unable to open his eyes but has managed to share a few laughs with visitors.
The rural Waikato officer was critically injured early on Monday morning after approaching Phillips’ quad bike, which had crashed following a police pursuit and the deployment of road spikes.
As the officer arrived, Phillips opened fire with a “high-powered rifle”, striking him in the head and shoulder.
A second officer responded and fatally shot Phillips at the scene.
Aerial footage shows the aftermath of the Marokopa standoff – Watch on TVNZ+
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers and Police Minister Mark Mitchell visited the injured officer and his family on Tuesday.
“He was able to speak to us a little bit. His eyes are not open. You’ll appreciate that [on Monday] he spent a good deal of the day in surgery,” Chambers said.
Multiple investigations are being carried out in the wake of the fatal shooting of the Marokopa fugitive and wounding of a police officer. (Source: Breakfast)
“It’s very confronting, but he knows we’re there. He was able to share a couple of laughs, and that’s good, but it’s pretty hard.”
The officer, who had served in the force for about three years, was described as a “very enthusiastic, good rural police officer”.
“He wants to be his best, but it will take a wee bit of time for him to recover to that point again, but we’re going to help him in that,” Chambers told 1News.
Mitchell said the officer was a “good classic Kiwi bloke”.
“He’s good farming stock, and he’s definitely got that resilient sort of attitude. He worked really hard to get into the police. His family are very proud of him, and we’ll do all that we can to support them and support him so that he can come back and do the job that he loves as a frontline police officer.”
The fugitive father was killed and an officer was wounded in the altercation. (Source: 1News)
Chambers said there was “absolutely no doubt” that Phillips’ intention was to kill the officer, adding that his family was going through “mixed emotions”.
“Very happy of course that their son, husband, brother, brother-in-law is still here with us. They’re relieved, but they’re also angry. Because our colleague was just going about his job in the wonderful way that he always does.
“To encounter an individual who was motivated to take his life is not acceptable, so there’s anger there too.”
Police Association president Chris Cahill told 1News it was “very lucky” police had not lost an officer.
“We just hope that this officer and his family can recover and that the young children involved in this incident can recover as well.”
Cahill said the association was working to provide “immediate” support to the constable’s family, but that the long-term support was going to be “really important”.
“That’s why we have a police and families charitable trust that we’ll use to finance that long term support that will be needed.”
The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including how police are putting the Marokopa puzzle together, a middle of the night shock for an Auckland family, and why your next online shopping haul could be late. (Source: 1News)
