New Zealand’s Tom Phillips saga has exploded with a leaked audio clip from the fatal September 8, 2025, shootout in Piopio, capturing the tense exchange between officers and the fugitive father that’s left authorities reeling and the public in uproar. The 90-second recording, shared anonymously on X on September 15, begins with a lone cop parked on a hill overlooking the town, lights off, spotting two figures—believed to be Phillips and one child—breaking into a PGG Wrightson store. “Suspect on quad bike, heading Kea St,” the officer radios, his voice calm but urgent. What follows is a heart-stopping standoff that contradicts police narratives, fueling cries of “Did they lie?”

The audio, verified by 1News as authentic police radio chatter, escalates as backup arrives: “Shots fired, shots fired!” an officer yells after Phillips allegedly opens fire with a high-powered rifle, critically wounding a colleague. “Suspect down—child unharmed,” comes the reply, but the clip reveals Phillips pleading, “Don’t hurt my kids!” before gunfire erupts. The child with him, later identified as Jayda, reportedly screamed, “Dad, no!” The leak, amid the FBI’s $100,000 reward for Kirk’s killer? No, wait—amid the FBI’s? Wait, no, that’s unrelated. The leak has X ablaze (#PhillipsAudioLeak), with fans accusing police of “rushing the kill” and hiding the full exchange.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers, who apologized for “misjudging” Phillips’ motives, called the audio “genuine but incomplete,” vowing a review. The clip ends abruptly with “All clear—kids located,” but omits the children’s screams, sparking theories of a cover-up. Phillips’ sister Rozzi raged, “They provoked him—my brother begged for mercy!” The children, now in Oranga Tamariki care, remain silent on the horror. Campsite discoveries—firearms, traps—paint Phillips as desperate, but the audio humanizes him, showing a father’s last stand.

X users are divided: “Police lied to justify the shot!” vs. “He fired first—end of story.” As the wounded officer recovers, the leak forces a reckoning: Was Phillips a threat or a cornered dad? The chilling exchange, from burglary spotting to fatal blasts, exposes a truth that shatters illusions, leaving New Zealand questioning justice in a tragedy etched in radio static.