Judge pushes to start trial for North Andover officer shot by colleague

Key Takeaways:

• North Andover Officer Kelsey Fitzsimmons was shot by a fellow officer on June 30.
• Police say she pointed her gun at an officer; she insists she aimed it at her own temple.
• Fitzsimmons claims postpartum depression and has struggled with mandated alcohol testing.
• Her bail was initially granted, then revoked, fueling ongoing legal debates.
• A trial date may be set as soon as November.

Background of the June 30 Shooting

The incident centered on North Andover Officer Kelsey Fitzsimmons, who was off-duty at the time. According to court documents, officers arrived at her Phillips Brook Road home on June 30 to serve a restraining order obtained by her fiancé. Fitzsimmons, who was on leave from the North Andover Police Department, was allegedly in a fragile emotional state, suffering from postpartum depression.

Conflicting Stories in the Home

One account provided to investigators states that Fitzsimmons pointed a firearm at an officer, pulled the trigger, and then attempted to rack the gun to chamber a round. The officer, fearing for his life, fired twice, critically wounding her. Fitzsimmons offers a strikingly different narrative: she says her firearm was never aimed at anyone besides herself. In her version, police entered her home to remove her infant child. She contends that she pulled the trigger while pointing the gun at her own head but that it misfired, and she was then quickly shot in the chest.

Legal Consequences and Bail Dispute

Fitzsimmons survived the shooting but was hospitalized for 53 days with a collapsed lung, broken ribs, and other serious injuries. Upon her discharge, court proceedings quickly escalated. A judge initially granted her bail on the condition that she not see her infant son and submit to alcohol testing. However, she claims her injuries prevent her from getting accurate results on the SCRAM breathalyzer, leading to intense abdominal pain and dizziness when trying to blow into the device.

In a swift turn of events, Fitzsimmons’ bail was revoked. Her lawyers say the judge offered no alternatives to the monitoring device, arguing that a “nightmare scenario” has left Fitzsimmons in jail without a legal basis or a clear path to comply with medical realities.

Postpartum Depression at the Fore

Central to Fitzsimmons’ defense is her disclosure of postpartum depression. She asserts that hopelessness and suicidal ideation led to her decision to place the gun to her own head. Her counsel, including Martha Coakley, believes that the officers’ response could have been different had the severity of Fitzsimmons’ mental health crisis been fully considered.

The Road to Trial

During a recent hearing, the judge admonished legal counsel for procedural missteps but pushed to start the trial as soon as November. Fitzsimmons’ lawyers maintain they need more time to gather expert testimony and reciprocal evidence. The next court date has been scheduled for November 15, leaving the question of whether she will remain in custody in the meantime.

As both sides prepare their cases, the central issue remains unaltered: did Fitzsimmons threaten her fellow officers, or was she in the midst of a mental health crisis that culminated in a tragic misunderstanding? The looming trial may help resolve these conflicting accounts, with Fitzsimmons continuing to press for the chance to contest the official narrative—and possibly secure her release from custody pending the outcome.