A person has been shot dead by police in the New Zealand region where fugitive father Tom Phillips has been on the run with his three children for almost four years.

Police remain at the scene in Waitomo, in western Waikato early Monday morning.

It's understood that police were responding to a burglary when there was a confrontation.

A police officer was shot before another officer opened fire and shot the suspect, who died at the scene.

Another person was taken into custody.