Fugitive Father Killed, Children Found After Four-Year New Zealand Manhunt

Tom Phillips, a fugitive New Zealand father who had been on the run with his three children for nearly four years, was shot dead in a police shootout following an attempted burglary at a farm supply store in Piopio. The incident began early Monday morning when police received a call about a burglary involving two people on a quad bike, matching recent sightings of Phillips and one of his children. Police laid road spikes on a rural road to stop the suspects, leading to a confrontation where Phillips shot a police officer in the head, critically injuring him, before being fatally shot by backup officers. The three children, aged between nine and twelve, were taken into police custody, with one child present during the incident and the other two found later in a remote forest. Authorities suspect Phillips may have received assistance during his years evading capture, during which time he kept the children away from formal education and healthcare amid a custody dispute. The children's mother expressed relief after the ordeal, which had gripped the nation since their disappearance in late 2021.