Nelson policewoman Lyn Fleming’s death: WorkSafe notified, funeral details being considered

Tributes have been left at the Nelson Police Station for slain police officer Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming. Photo / Katrina Bennett

• Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming died while on duty in Nelson in the early hours of New Year’s Day.
• A 32-year-old man, charged with her murder and seven other offences, has interim name suppression until Friday.
• Funeral details, including whether the public will be able to attend, are being finalised.

WorkSafe has been notified and funeral details are being considered, including whether the public can attend, following the death of Nelson Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming.

The 62-year-old was allegedly run down by a driver in the early hours of New Year’s Day at a gathering in the Buxton Square Carpark.

She is being remembered as “an incredible officer with a kind heart” by her colleagues, community and the wider country.

A 32-year-old Tasman man charged with her murder appeared in the Nelson District Court last Friday and was granted interim name suppression until midday this Friday.

Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming was killed after a car ramming in Nelson in the early hours of January 1, 2025. Photo / Supplied

A police spokesperson told the Herald a release outlining the details of her funeral would be issued once plans are finalised.

“It will include information as to whether there will be an opportunity for public to attend.”

A WorkSafe spokesperson said they had been notified and were making initial enquiries to inform their involvement, alongside the criminal investigation being led by police.

“WorkSafe offers its sincere condolences to the whānau and colleagues of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming, who died tragically on New Year’s Day, and Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay who was seriously injured.

“Everyone who goes to work should come home healthy and safe to their whānau at the end of the day, particularly those who spend their careers ensuring the safety of others across New Zealand.”

Members of the Nelson community gathered for a candlelit vigil on the steps of the Cathedral last Friday night. Photo / Tim Cuff

Several hundred people along with representatives from Fire and Emergency New Zealand staff and other first responders stood under umbrellas in the steady rain last Friday, when a vigil was held in Nelson.

A carpet of floral tributes and candles has been left outside the Nelson police station and a condolence book has been opened in Christ Church Cathedral, Nelson to honour the life of Fleming — the first police officer killed in the line of duty in the Nelson area, and the first female police officer killed on the job in New Zealand.

Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming's colleagues gathered in her honour last Friday night. Photo / Tim Cuff

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