Jamie Lyth: NZ Herald reporter on the latest with the Marokopa investigation

A police officer's undergoing surgery after being shot in the head by Marokopa fugitive Tom Phillips - as the search continues for two of his children.

Police were alerted to a burglarly in Piopio around 2.30am, and laid spikes on a rural road more than half an hour away.

That brought the quad bike Phillips and one of his children were travelling on to a stop - and an officer approached, but he was shot with a high-powered rifle.

A second officer shot Phillips, who died at the scene.

NZ Herald reporter Jamie Lyth is in Marokopa - and she joined the Afternoons team with the latest.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
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Speaker 2 (00:16):
So a police officer is undergoing surgery after being shot
in the head by Marta Copper fugitive Tom Phillips, as
the search continues for two of his children. New Zealand
Herald reporter Jamie Lyth is on the ground in Marta,
Copa and she joins us on the line. Now, Jamie,
how are you.

Speaker 3 (00:34):
I'm doing well. How are you going good?

Speaker 4 (00:36):
Thanks? What are you seeing down there? Is there any
signs of the search for the missing children?

Speaker 3 (00:42):
To be honest, No, it's very quiet down here. It's
a very spread out community, and there is a history
with a bit of hostility towards media and with some
a little bit of that today. Not everyone really wants
to talk to us. But there isn't anything in particular
that would lead you to believe that, you know, a
very famous fugitive that has put this town on the

(01:04):
map has been shot dead this morning.

Speaker 4 (01:06):
Yeah, and so you say, there's a few locals about
what have they been saying?

Speaker 3 (01:11):
Yes, Well, a local who did want to speak to me,
he said he was disappointed, but not particularly surprised that
the Philips saga had ended like this. I mean, he
described it as not unexpected, and he said that it
was particularly tragic for the children, you know, after probably

(01:33):
developing a strong bond with their father, after living in
the bush, to be there, you know, almost four years.

Speaker 2 (01:40):
Is there much police activity in matter Cooper at the moment, Jamie?
Are you seeing any helicopters over here? Is there much
police on the ground?

Speaker 3 (01:48):
So, frankly, I've seen no police on the ground, but
we have seen the Eagle helicopter fly above us. The
most movement on the roads around here are people.

Speaker 4 (01:57):
On quad bikes, right, okay, a popular motor transport down there.
And what about any word at all on the injured
police officer? Any updates on the condition.

Speaker 3 (02:10):
Not that I've heard of, no, but I have heard
that this morning he was talking to his colleagues, So
that is a good sign that someone might be okay.

Speaker 4 (02:20):
And then when do you expect authorities to update the situation.

Speaker 3 (02:25):
I believe authorities are giving an update at three thirty
this afternoon at a live press stand up.

Speaker 2 (02:33):
Yeah, Jamie, thank you very much. If you're having to
chat with us, go well down there and look after
yourself and we might catch up a little bit later
on Sounds Good.

Speaker 3 (02:41):
Thanks guys. For more from.

Speaker 1 (02:43):
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