Please attribute to Commissioner of Police Richard Chambers:
Nelson Police will charge a 32-year-old man with a total of eight charges including Murder and Attempted Murder following the tragic and senseless events in Nelson yesterday.
He is also charged with:
• Two charges of assault using a vehicle as a weapon.
• Two charges of Wounding with Intent (reckless disregard) in relation to the other officer who was injured and a member of the public.
• Dangerous Driving.
• Driving while Disqualified.
As the investigation progresses we expect that further charges will follow.
The man will appear in Nelson District Court tomorrow, Friday 3 January.
For New Zealand, Lyn is tragically the first policewoman to be killed in the line of duty and the first police officer in Nelson. I know we are all struggling to understand why this has happened.
I thank the investigation team who have worked around the clock to get us to this point. They continue to speak with a number of witnesses today and have enquiries well underway.
Lyn’s family have asked for privacy at this time while they are grieving. They wish to acknowledge Nelson Hospital, the members of the public who came to the assistance of the injured officers, and all of those injured in this incident.
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre