WELLINGTON, Sept 9, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - A fugitive father killed in a shootout with New Zealand police after nearly four years on the run with his children maintained a bushland hideout stocked with firearms and ammunition, the force said Tuesday.

Tom Phillips' days as a fugitive came to a bloody end this week when he was killed in a police shootout in the rolling hill country of the North Island's Waikato region.

His three kids were all safely recovered.

Police detailed on Tuesday their time in the bush and how they were able to stay undetected for so long.

"Phillips and his four children have been very mobile and moved frequently," New Zealand Police Commissioner Richard Chambers said.

The family's mobility made it a "challenge" for authorities to find them, he explained.

Authorities also took great caution in dealing with Phillips because they knew he was armed and dangerous.

"We have taken time over four years to consider how best to deal with the situation," Chambers said.

"We were confident that, irrespective of how hard we tried to bring it to a peaceful conclusion, that with a motivated person that was always going to be a challenge," he said.

At Phillips' bush camp hideout nestled among the scrubs, the family had access to two red quad bikes, firearms and ammunition, police said.

Strewn across the ground was a fuel container, spare tires and empty bottles, photos showed.

But there were touches of small luxuries, including cans of soft drinks.

Police also located firearms and ammunition at the site.

Authorities have said they believed sympathetic locals were assisting Phillips, and that they would investigate whether he had help getting hold of guns and a quad bike.

Phillips absconded with his three children in December 2021 after a row with his former partner and eluded capture for years despite several sightings.

He was killed in a shootout with police after shooting an officer in the head and shoulder with a high-powered rifle.

Police said Tuesday that the officer's injuries were "confronting" and that he had a "long road to recovery" ahead.

One of Phillips' children was with him during Monday's shooting and was taken into custody.

The other two siblings were found at about 4.30 pm (0430 GMT) after a full day's search at a remote campsite in the bush about two kilometres (1.2 miles) from where the shooting occurred.