A number of police resources have been deployed to try and find Marokopa fugitive Tom Phillips' two missing children before it gets dark - after he was shot dead by an officer in the Waikato this morning.

A quad bike being ridden by him and one of his children was stopped by police spikes after a burglary in Piopio.

An approaching officer was then shot multiple times, including in the head, and is receiving surgery on his eye.

A second officer arrived at the scene and shot the gunman dead. 

Newstalk ZB reporter Jordan Dunn says the authorities will be conducting this search 'meticulously' and 'strategically', as there's a good chance the missing children aren't alone.

"They do say that there's a good chance they're alone, but the key there is that they're not making assumptions. They're going out there as if there is the possibility that they are being aided."

LISTEN ABOVE