New Zealand police officials stated that in the early hours of New Year's Day, a driver struck two police officers who were on foot patrol, resulting in the death of one and serious injuries to the other. This incident has shocked New Zealand, as it is very rare for police officers to be killed while on duty in the country.
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02-13, 2025Police said on Thursday that Senior Constable Lynn Fleming became the first female police officer in New Zealand's history to die on duty due to a criminal act. During the attack on Wednesday, the vehicle struck the officers "at high speed" as they were conducting a routine patrol in a parking lot, after which the driver reversed and rammed a police car. Police Commissioner Richard Chambers told reporters in the South Island city of Nelson that Fleming died hours later in a local hospital.
Shortly after the incident, around 2 a.m. local time, a 32-year-old man was arrested in connection with the case. He has been charged with eight criminal offenses, including murder, attempted murder, using a vehicle as a weapon, and driving while disqualified. Chambers stated that the other officer who was hit is in serious condition but is expected to make a full recovery.
Chambers condemned the "unprovoked actions of an individual who appeared intent on causing harm," but he did not suggest a motive. "There was no indication that anything like this was going to happen," Chambers said. Police Minister Mark Mitchell told reporters that the officers were "targeted in what I believe was a cowardly attack." Prime Minister Christopher Luxon wrote on X that it was a "devastating day" for the police and the country.
The attack occurred in the downtown area of Nelson, a city of 55,000 people, near streets where the city's New Year's Eve celebrations had ended two hours prior. Before Wednesday, the last time a police officer was killed on duty in New Zealand was in 2020, when an officer was shot by a fleeing driver. According to police records, 33 other officers have died on duty due to criminal acts since 1890. Fleming had been a police officer for 38 years and was a long-time netball coach at a local girls' high school. "She was a mother, a wife, and a well-known and highly respected member of the Nelson community," Chambers said.
The accused man is scheduled to appear in court on Friday. In New Zealand, a murder conviction carries an automatic sentence of life imprisonment, with the presiding judge setting a minimum non-parole period of at least 10 years.
