NORTH ANDOVER, MA - An off-duty police officer stared down the officer who shot her in the chest during a dramatic confrontation in 2025, as he claimed at trial that she was trying to kill her fiancé.
North Andover Police Officer Kelsey Fitzsimmons cast a skeptical side-eye at Officer Patrick Noonan as he testified at her assault trial about the moment he opened fire when his attempt to serve a restraining order against her went terribly wrong, the New York Post reported.
The restraining order was from Fitzsimmons' firefighter fiancé Justin Aylaian, who had won custody of the couple's four-month-old son. Fitzsimmons said she was suffering from postpartum depression at the time, but has since gotten help.
"I think I was standing in her way for her to get downstairs and kill Justin," Noonan told Judge Jeffrey Karp, who will decide whether Fitzsimmons is guilty of assault with a deadly weapon. After Noonan testified, Fitzsimmons made the side-eye face and appeared to mouth, "What?"
She then leaned over and whispered to her lawyers at the defense table inside the courtroom. Noonan was being grilled by Fitzsimmons' defense attorney, Timothy Bradl, about his account of what happened during the June 30, 2025, confrontation.
Noonan claimed Fitzsimmons pointed her firearm at him and pulled the trigger, which made a "click" noise because the gun was jammed. She then allegedly "tap-racked" the gun twice, a tactical move meant to clear a jam and feed a bullet into the chamber.
She then loaded the gun, Noonan said, prompting him to fire off two shots, striking her once in the chest, he testified. The entire incident was over in four seconds.
Bradl argued that Fitzsimmons was lifting the gun to her own head to kill herself, after experiencing the humiliation of her colleagues coming to take her service weapon and her son away. "You know it's prohibited for someone to use deadly force on someone who is only exhibiting harm to themselves?" Bradl asked Noonan.
"Absolutely," he responded. Bradl then asked why Noonan didn't just use a Taser instead of his gun. "We meet deadly force with deadly force," Noonan testified.
Fitzsimmons had been on leave from work after giving birth and was due to return to work in July before the day her world "imploded," Bradl said during opening arguments. She had been experiencing postpartum depression that was so severe, Aylaian decided to move out of their home, get a restraining order, and temporarily take their baby away.
He feared that Fitzsimmons might harm herself or the boy, he testified in court. Bradl claimed there was no motive for Fitzsimmons to harm anyone but herself, especially since the officers were colleagues and pals, with one even getting an invite to her wedding, The Post reported.
North Andover Police Lt. Sean Daley, the first witness to testify, said when he rushed upstairs after hearing the gunfire, he found Fitzsimmons wounded in the neck, repeating: "I'm sorry and I want to die."
Fitzsimmons has requested a bench trial, meaning the judge and not a jury will decide her fate. She has pleaded not guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. Her trial is expected to wrap up by the end of the week.
North Andover Police Officer Kelsey Fitzsimmons cast a skeptical side-eye at Officer Patrick Noonan as he testified at her assault trial about the moment he opened fire when his attempt to serve a restraining order against her went terribly wrong, the New York Post reported.
The restraining order was from Fitzsimmons' firefighter fiancé Justin Aylaian, who had won custody of the couple's four-month-old son. Fitzsimmons said she was suffering from postpartum depression at the time, but has since gotten help.
"I think I was standing in her way for her to get downstairs and kill Justin," Noonan told Judge Jeffrey Karp, who will decide whether Fitzsimmons is guilty of assault with a deadly weapon. After Noonan testified, Fitzsimmons made the side-eye face and appeared to mouth, "What?"
She then leaned over and whispered to her lawyers at the defense table inside the courtroom. Noonan was being grilled by Fitzsimmons' defense attorney, Timothy Bradl, about his account of what happened during the June 30, 2025, confrontation.
Noonan claimed Fitzsimmons pointed her firearm at him and pulled the trigger, which made a "click" noise because the gun was jammed. She then allegedly "tap-racked" the gun twice, a tactical move meant to clear a jam and feed a bullet into the chamber.
She then loaded the gun, Noonan said, prompting him to fire off two shots, striking her once in the chest, he testified. The entire incident was over in four seconds.
Bradl argued that Fitzsimmons was lifting the gun to her own head to kill herself, after experiencing the humiliation of her colleagues coming to take her service weapon and her son away. "You know it's prohibited for someone to use deadly force on someone who is only exhibiting harm to themselves?" Bradl asked Noonan.
"Absolutely," he responded. Bradl then asked why Noonan didn't just use a Taser instead of his gun. "We meet deadly force with deadly force," Noonan testified.
Fitzsimmons had been on leave from work after giving birth and was due to return to work in July before the day her world "imploded," Bradl said during opening arguments. She had been experiencing postpartum depression that was so severe, Aylaian decided to move out of their home, get a restraining order, and temporarily take their baby away.
He feared that Fitzsimmons might harm herself or the boy, he testified in court. Bradl claimed there was no motive for Fitzsimmons to harm anyone but herself, especially since the officers were colleagues and pals, with one even getting an invite to her wedding, The Post reported.
North Andover Police Lt. Sean Daley, the first witness to testify, said when he rushed upstairs after hearing the gunfire, he found Fitzsimmons wounded in the neck, repeating: "I'm sorry and I want to die."
Fitzsimmons has requested a bench trial, meaning the judge and not a jury will decide her fate. She has pleaded not guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. Her trial is expected to wrap up by the end of the week.
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