Tom Phillips, who absconded with his three children in December 2021 after a row with his former partner, died in the rolling hill country of the North Island’s Waikato region.

The family has eluded capture for nearly four years despite several sightings, including CCTV apparently showing Phillips and a child breaking into a store last month.

In the early hours of Monday morning, police were called about a potential robbery at a store by two people on a quad bike.

“Knowing the information that we had previously had that had seen Tom Phillips also in this area, additional staff were called out and responded to that location,” New Zealand Police deputy commissioner of the Northern Districts region Jill Rogers said.

Police stopped the quad bike with spikes, after which gunfire broke out.

“A second patrol unit arrived and has engaged the offender, and he has died at the scene,” Rogers said.

There was one child with Phillips, Rogers said, who was uninjured and being cared for by police.

“We are making urgent inquiries to locate Tom Phillip’s other children who we hold serious concerns for,” she said.