Former Mass. officer found not guilty after claiming suicide attempt
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A former Massachusetts police officer was found not guilty of attempting to shoot his brother in blue after testifying that he tried to kill himself when officers arrived at his home to serve a restraining order filed by his ex-fiancée.
Former North Andover police officer Kelsey Fitzsimmons, 29, appeared in court on a single charge of assault with a dangerous weapon after prosecutors alleged she pointed a gun at her friend Patrick Noonan and attempted to shoot him on June 25, 2025.
However, Fitzsimmons vehemently denied the allegations; Instead, she insisted that she tried to kill herself when officers came to her home to serve a restraining order from her fiancé, Justin Aylaian, and to gain custody of her young child.
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North Andover Police Officer Kelsey Fitzsimmons at her arraignment at the J. Michael Ruane Judicial Center on Aug. 28, 2025. (Ben Pennington/Boston Globe via Getty Images)
“I didn’t want to involve anyone. I wanted to take my own life,” he said earlier this week. “I never pointed the gun at a fellow police officer. That never happened.”
The decision was handed down by Judge Jeffrey Karp after nearly four hours of deliberations on Thursday. accordingly WCVB.
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Kelsey Fitzsimmons, 28, was shot during a confrontation with fellow officers. (North Andover Police Department)
Karp settled the case because Fitzsimmons reportedly waived his right to a trial by jury.
“I think Ms. Fitzsimmons, Officer Noonan, and all the individuals involved in the tragic events of June 30, 2025, deserve an explanation,” Karp said before announcing his decision, according to WCVB.
“I am faced with a reasonable doubt and a burden to find that the Commonwealth has failed to meet its burden of proving that Ms. Fitzsimmons committed assault with a dangerous weapon,” he said. “My verdict is not guilty and it shouldn’t be that way.”
Karp added that he found no evidence that Fitzsimmons was the victim of a conspiracy.
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North Andover Police Officer Kelsey Fitzsimmons at her arraignment at the J. Michael Ruane Judicial Center on Aug. 28, 2025. (Ben Pennington/Boston Globe via Getty Images)
“I have seen no evidence of a conspiracy in this case. What I have seen is dedicated public servants like Officer Noonan and his fellow officers doing the best they could under rapidly evolving emotional circumstances,” Karp said. he said.
Fitzsimmons was shot by Noonan after he allegedly pointed a gun at him and was later arrested and arraigned on one count of armed assault with intent to murder and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon.
GOT A TIP?
He was indicted in Essex Superior Court, but the grand jury ultimately decided to hold him on only a single count of assault with a dangerous weapon.
Taking the stand Wednesday, Fitzsimmons recalled the moment he was shot by Noonan.
“I went into a huge adrenaline shock. It didn’t feel like normal pain. It felt like there was almost no pain, but it felt like my whole body was on fire, and the whole time I was completely alert, wide awake,” Fitzsimmons said.
“I was talking as much as I could. I had a punctured lung so I was having trouble breathing, but other than that, I was very alert and aware of my surroundings.”
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Immediately after the shooting, Fitzsimmons said the fire department and additional resources transported her from her home to a local hospital, where she repeatedly said she “wanted to die” after authorities arrived to enforce a restraining order and gain custody of her four-month-old child.
“They took me out and I think while I was still in my house, one of the firefighters was trying to put oxygen in my face, so I was taking it off and saying, ‘I want to die, I want to die, I want to die.’
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In his closing argument, defense attorney Tim Bradl noted the possibility that Noonan may have made the decision to shoot Fitzsimmons too quickly, according to the outlet.
“He’s the only person who knows the Rambo story,” Bradl said. “Everybody knows what Kelsey said. She’s getting into an ongoing suicide. She sees it. She reacts. ‘Kelsey no, Kelsey no.’ Bam. Bam. Brain freezes. Error. He needs to cover this up.”
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But prosecution attorney James Gubitose reportedly held up Fitzsimmons’ unloaded gun during closing, praising Noonan’s police training while insisting the evidence contradicted Fitzsimmons’ testimony.
“It is impossible for it to have happened the way he said it did,” Gubitose said. “It is scientifically and mechanically impossible for this to happen the way he says it will.”
The Essex District Attorney’s Office said in a statement to Fox News Digital that the indictment was “filed in good faith, supported by credible police statements, and supported by physical evidence,” adding that “while we respect the judge’s decision, we disagree.”
“We also appreciate the professionalism and courtesy of the prosecutors involved in this highly public and emotionally charged case; it is also an example of police officers acting to the best of their ability during a tragic and rapidly evolving incident. The work of police officers is extremely dangerous, especially in cases involving restraining orders, and I commend their dedication, courage and willingness to serve.”
Fitzsimmons’ attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
