A New Zealand man who had been on the run with his three children since 2021 was shot dead by police on Monday after a confrontation that left a constable critically injured, authorities said.

Police said Tom Phillips, who vanished from the North Island town of Marokopa with his children in December 2021, was located after a report of an armed theft at a rural supply store in Piopio in the Waikato region. A witness called police about 2:30 a.m. after seeing Phillips and one of his children allegedly taking items from the PGG Wrightson store, and officers later intercepted them on a quad bike after deploying road spikes on Te Anga Road about 33 kilometres away.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers said officers confronted Phillips after the early-morning stop. A single officer was shot in the head with a high-powered rifle, police said. When a second police vehicle arrived, officers shot and killed Phillips. A child at the scene, identified as 12-year-old Jayda Phillips, was taken into custody and is cooperating with police, Rogers said.

The injured male constable was airlifted to a hospital in critical condition and has undergone multiple operations, police said. Police Commissioner Richard Chambers later advised that the officer was conscious and speaking with colleagues.

Police located a haul of stolen items, including clothing and footwear, on the quad bike, and recovered multiple firearms at the scene. Officers said the children were found alone and are uninjured; they will undergo medical examinations and be supported by Oranga Tamariki, the ministry for children.

Rogers described the incident as deeply traumatic for all involved and confirmed police had informed Phillips’s parents that the grandchildren were safe. It was not immediately clear whether the children had been told of Phillips’s death. Authorities said rumours that a baby had also been missing with the group were unfounded.

Phillips, who had been the subject of several search operations and a NZ$80,000 reward, disappeared with his three children — Ember, 9; Maverick, 10; and Jayda, 12 — in December 2021 amid a custody dispute with the children’s mother. The family’s disappearance had drawn national attention and intermittent reported sightings in bushland over the nearly four years they were missing.

In a public statement, the children’s mother, identified as Cat, said she was "deeply relieved" the ordeal for her tamariki had ended but was also "saddened by how events unfolded today." She expressed gratitude to those who supported the family during their absence and asked for privacy as the children are reintegrated into care. Cat extended sympathy to the injured officer.

Phillips’s relatives reached by media at a family farm expressed anger toward police. His father, Neville, told Stuff that people did not understand "what it's like to be shafted by the cops several times," and asked others to consider the family’s perspective.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he had been briefed by police but declined to comment further. Police have maintained a cordon in the area near the Waitomo Caves while investigators process the scene and roads including sections of Te Anga Road, Hauturu and Waipuna Roads remained closed.

The recovery of Phillips’s children brings an end to a case that prompted repeated appeals from his extended family for their safe return. Phillips’s mother and sister publicly implored him to surrender in interviews earlier this year, and family members had previously urged him and the children to come home.

Police said the matter remains under active investigation. Detectives are examining the circumstances of the robbery, the shooting of the officer and the actions that led to Phillips’s death, and have indicated they will conduct further inquiries in consultation with Crown prosecutors. The children will continue to receive medical checks and support from child welfare services as authorities work to reunite them with family where appropriate.