Tom Phillips, fugitive father on run with children for nearly four years, shot dead by NZ police in exchange of fire

Phillips, who has been on the run with his children for four years, was shot by police after officers came under fire while investigating burglary in Piopio, authorities said

A fugitive father who had been hiding in New Zealand's rugged wilderness with his three children for nearly four years has been shot dead by police investigating an armed burglary, police said on Monday.

The whereabouts of Tom Phillips has attracted headlines around the world since just before Christmas 2021, when he fled into the Waikato wilderness with his children Ember, now 9, Maverick, 10, and Jayda, 12, following a custody dispute with their mother.