A New Zealand father who disappeared with his three children into the wilderness has been killed in a shootout with cops.
Tom Phillips, who had been on the run with his kids, Ember, nine, Maverick, ten, and Jayda, 12, for almost four years, was killed in western Waitako on Monday.
Phillips was shot dead after police confronted him following calls to emergency services regarding an armed robbery at a farm supply shop in the rural town of Piopio, in New Zealand's Waikato region.
A witness called police at about 2.30am on Monday after spotting Phillips and Jayda, dressed in 'farm clothing' and wearing headlamps, stealing from the PGG Wrightson store in Piopio.
Following the early morning robbery, Phillips and Jayda took off on their quad bike and were stopped by police road spikes about 33km away on Te Anga Road at 3.30am.
