In response to an Official Information Act (OIA) request from RNZ’s Mata, police refused to say when the Phillips family and the mother of the children were notified about the incident. However, RNZ understands his family was not told until after 7.30am, and the mother was not told until after 8am. Tom Phillips died following a shootout with police in September 2025. RNZ asked police why the documentary crew were informed before relatives, and what the text message said. “While it was ill-advised, the staff member who sent it has been the main point of contact for the documentary crew and did not act with any bad intent.

Source: New Zealand Herald January 22, 2026 20:20 UTC