A New Zealand police officer has been killed and another critically injured while on duty after a driver allegedly ran them down and rammed into their cop car following New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Senior Sergeants Lyn Fleming, 62, and Adam Ramsay were conducting foot patrols in a car park in Nelson in the nation’s south in the early hours of Wednesday when a vehicle allegedly drove into the officers ‘at speed’.
Senior Sergeant Fleming later died in hospital surrounded by her family. Her seriously injured colleague remains in the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.
An unnamed third officer and two members of the public were also injured.Â
Police tasered and arrested a 32-year-old man at the scene.
Until Wednesday, the most recent death of a New Zealand police officer while on duty occurred in 2020 when a fleeing driver shot an officer.Â
Senior Sergeant Fleming’s death sparked an outpouring of grief from authorities.
‘A widely respected police officer with 38 years frontline service. She was also a loved and cherished, daughter, mother, wife and valued member of the wider Nelson community,’ Police Commissioner Richard Chambers told reporters.
Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming was conducting foot patrols when tragedy struck
‘Lyn was a beautiful soul and her death will be felt across the Nelson community and our Police family.’Â
Senior Sergeant’s death has rocked the South Island city.
Commissioner Chambers laid flowers outside Albion Square Police Station alongside Police Minister Mark Mitchell and Nelson mayor Nick Smith.
‘The scale of this tragedy is that it is the first in Nelson’s history of a police officer killed during the course of their duties as well as the first for New Zealand of a woman officer being killed,’ Cr Smith said
Minister Mitchell said the officers were ‘targeted in what I (allegedly) consider a very cowardly attack’.
‘There was, at this stage, no indication that was what about to occur, occurred,’Â Commissioner Chamber added.
‘Lyn and Adam, like so many of our officers were working on New Year’s Eve to keep people safe on a night intended for celebration.
Heartbroken colleagues remembered Senior Sergeant as ‘an incredible police officer with a kind heart’
‘I could always ask you for help or advice. It was an honour to serve with you,’ one said.
‘I don’t feel like starting my shift today, but we honour you and your legacy by staying strong and carrying on.’
 The car park where Senior Sergeant Fleming and a colleague were allegedly mown down by a car remained a crime scene on Wednesday
NZ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon also paid his condolences.
‘Police across New Zealand do an incredible job keeping us safe and it’s heart-wrenching for an officer to lose her life carrying out that duty,’ he said.
‘I extend my deepest condolences to Lyn’s loved ones and colleagues and hope for the recovery of those injured.’
Police allege the vehicle allegedly drove into the officers as they patrolled a car park in downtown Nelson after the city’s New year’s celebrations had come to a close.
A witness claimed the car made a turn before allegedly ramming the police vehicle.
‘[They] swung around the cop car [with his car], a female officer went off to the side, then he came around again and went straight nose-to-nose with [the police car],’ he told NZ’s 1News at Six.
‘It was a hell of a bang.’
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers said Sergeant Fleming was a ‘beautiful soul’Â
Nelson Mayor Nick Smith and Police Commissioner Richard Chambers were among those to lay flowers in the wake of Senior Sergeant Fleming’s death
Senior Sergeant Fleming was also a top netball coach.
‘We are absolutely devastated to learn of the passing of our Senior A netball coach,’ a Nelson College for Girls statement read.
‘Words cannot describe her impact on our athletes, coaches and staff. We love you.’
A candlelight vigil for Senior will be held in Nelson this Friday night.
The man charged over the incident remains in custody to appear in court on Friday.
