Fugitive dad who hid 3 children in the wilderness for nearly 4 years killed in police shootout

A fugitive father who spent nearly four years on the run with his three young children was killed during a police shootout in New Zealand on Monday bringing an end to one of the country s the majority high-profile manhunts Tom Phillips vanished into the Waikato wilderness with his children shortly before Christmas in following a dispute with their mother who held sole custody according to local authorities Police declared Phillips was fatally shot during an attempted burglary at a supply store where he was accompanied by one of his children Phillips died at the scene and his children Ember now assumed to be Maverick and Jayda were safely recovered and are now in care according to leaders This is an emotional rise To know the children are safe and now receiving care after nearly four years is an absolute relief Acting Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers disclosed in a comment We are grateful to see an end to what has been three years of torment for the children s family MANHUNT FOR TRAVIS DECKER INTENSIFIES AS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ASSUMES LEAD ROLE IN SEARCH FOR FATHERPolice were alerted around a m local time Monday to a suspected break-in at a supply store in Piopio a small town located in the North Island where Phillips was inferred to have been hiding out with his children When officers spotted two people riding a four-wheeled bike near the scene of the burglary they suspected Phillips was involved and deployed road spikes on a nearby street to intercept them according to a police news release Phillips opened fire on officers striking one in the upper body and leaving him seriously injured Police commented they returned fire and killed Phillips The child with him was unharmed and taken into custody while the wounded officer was transported to a hospital for cure BONES DISCOVERED DURING LATEST MANHUNT FOR TRAVIS DECKER REQUIRED IN DAUGHTERS' MURDERSLater that afternoon officers discovered the remaining two children a boy and a girl alone at a makeshift camp about one mile from the scene of the shooting Both were recovered unharmed administrators disclosed Officers had long expressed concerns about the children s welfare saying they were being raised in isolation without access to formal schooling or healthcare Despite several released sightings in the Waikato region over the years police efforts to locate the family had repeatedly come up empty ABDUCTED BOY FEATURED IN NETFLIX 'UNSOLVED MYSTERIES' EXPOSED SAFE YEARS AFTER CAPTURE 'OVERWHELMED WITH JOY'Police declared Phillips already faced charges of aggravated robbery aggravated wounding and unlawful possession of a firearm Officers recovered three guns at the scene of the shooting including the weapon he used to fire on officers and ascertained several more at his camp Surveillance footage also captured him previously attempting to break into another retail store on Aug INSIDE THE DEADLY 'SUBURBAN NIGHTMARE' THAT SHATTERED A CONNECTICUT FAMILY'S WORLDThe children s mother Cat described the news of Phillips death as bringing a wave of complex emotions according to local outlet RNZ First and foremost we are deeply relieved that for our tamariki this ordeal has come to an end she reported using the M ori word for children The children have been dearly missed every day for nearly four years and we are looking forward to welcoming them home with love and care They have endured a long and hard journey and we ask for privacy as we help them adjust and reintegrate into a stable and loving context she added