The man accused of murdering Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming in Nelson in the early hours of New Year’s Day can now be named.
He is 32-year-old Hayden Donald Jason Tasker of Motueka.
Until now, he had interim name suppression, which lifted today.
Tasker is facing a raft of charges including murder and attempted murder, which he has previously pleaded not guilty to.
The charges relate to the incident shortly after midnight on New Year’s Day in Buxton Square carpark in the central city.
Fleming and her colleague Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay were struck by a vehicle while on foot patrol.
The vehicle then turned around and rammed a police patrol car, concussing another police officer and injuring two members of the public.
Ramsay was critically injured during the incident, but has since recovered from his injuries.
Fleming later died in hospital surrounded by her loved ones, and was farewelled at a public funeral service held at the Trafalgar Centre on January 16. A private service was also held to honour her life.
There was an outpouring of grief from the wider Nelson community, where Fleming was the area response manager.
Police officers were brought into Nelson from other districts so that her colleagues could farewell the 62-year-old.
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Police Commissioner Chambers said at the time that she was a daughter, a mother, a wife and a “well-known and highly respected” member of the Nelson community and the police since joining in 1992.
“She was a beautiful soul, she was an outstanding police officer, and even I had the privilege of working alongside Lyn between 2012 and 2014,” he said.
“Lyn’s qualities as a police officer are something that all New Zealanders can be proud of.”
Fleming was the 34th officer to die in the line of duty in New Zealand. She is also the first female officer and only officer from the Nelson region to be killed.
