The off-duty Massachusetts cop on trial for allegedly pulling a gun on a fellow officer testified Wednesday how she “misplaced all the things in a 15-second dialog” with the man cops who had been despatched to serve her with a restraining order.
North Andover Police Officer Kelsey Fitzsimmons additionally recalled the surprising second one other cop within the division, Patrick Noonan, shot her within the chest, puncturing her lung.
She described feeling like she was “drowning” as her lung crammed with blood and her coworkers labored to save lots of her life.
Fitzsimmons is accused of assault for pointing a gun at officers, however she says she was attempting to kill herself after struggling extreme postpartum melancholy.
“I wished to be alone with my firearm and take my life,” Fitzsimmons mentioned from the witness stand at her assault trial in a Lawrence courtroom. “I made that call once I realized I had simply misplaced all the things in a 15-second dialog with my coworker.”
The 29-year-old mother — who wore black framed glasses, and a cream blazer together with her hair in a low bun — described how three officers got here to her North Andover house on June 30, 2025 informing her concerning the order from fiancé Justin Aylaian, which compelled her to quickly flip over custody of their toddler son Caden.
Fitzsimmons described how she was blindsided by Aylaian — a firefighter — taking the drastic measure towards her and mentioned as she was packing for her son it set in that her entire world was crashing down on her.
“Justin simply broke up with me by way of restraining order. We’ve a marriage in 4 months. Caden isn’t going to be with me for 2 weeks. That’s an eternity for a mother,” she mentioned as she choked up.
The restraining order even dictated that her canine must be evaded her, she defined.
“My child gone, my fiancé, my canine and my home and I knew it was going to be my job too. No matter I used to be accused of wasn’t good as a result of there was a restraining order,” she mentioned.
She additionally realized she wouldn’t have the ability to afford the home she’d shared with Aylaian on a single wage and he or she wouldn’t have time as a brand new mother to work profitable extra time hours.
The rookie cop, who’d solely been on the job for 2 years, had been scheduled to return to work the following month.
She mentioned within the moments after deciding she would shoot herself, she repeatedly tried to get the three cops away from her in order that they wouldn’t be harmed or concerned.
Minutes later, Fitzsimmons grabbed her service weapon, as Noonan stood close by on the steps, and pointed it towards her head, pulling the set off. However the gun didn’t go off as a result of there wasn’t a bullet within the chamber.
Noonan “had simply walked in once I pulled the set off on myself,” she testified. “With the gun pointing at my head, he mentioned, ‘Kelsey, no! Kelsey, no!”
She mentioned when the gun didn’t go off she began to say the phrase, “f–okay” — after which Noonan shot her.
“I couldn’t say something. I couldn’t breathe,” she recounted. “Why, Why did you try this?” she mentioned she requested Noonan who held her hand.
“It hurts, it hurts,” she recalled saying.
“It felt like I used to be choking, like I used to be drowning,” she mentioned, noting the bullet punctured her lung.
Contained in the ambulance and within the hospital she stored telling individuals, “I’m a f–king fool. I attempted to kill myself with an unloaded gun.”
Fitzsimmons mentioned at first she fought when medics tried to provide her an oxygen masks as a result of she didn’t need to be saved however she ultimately relented.
She recalled getting flown by helicopter to Mass Normal Hospital the place she would spend the following 53 days recovering from the gunshot wound, that required 5 surgical procedures to restore.
Noonan testified on Monday and Tuesday that Fitzsimmons pointed her gun at him and pulled the set off, however he wasn’t wounded due to the gun jamming.
He mentioned Fitzsimmons then “faucet racked” the firearm twice, lastly getting a bullet within the chamber and so he fired off two rounds till she dropped the gun and fell to the ground.
Noonan additionally claimed he believed Fitzsimmons was taking pictures at him so she might get downstairs and kill Aylaian — an announcement that drew a stare-down from Fitzsimmons within the courtroom Tuesday.
Fitzsimmons claimed Wednesday she “didn’t need to contain anyone,” in her suicide.
“I wished to take my very own life. I by no means pointed a gun at a fellow police officer. It by no means occurred,” she insisted.
Aylaian testified he sought the restraining order as a result of he was afraid Fitzsimmons may hurt herself or their son.
In the meantime, Fitzsimmons’ attorneys have claimed she was affected by extreme postpartum melancholy after having given start simply 4 months earlier.
Closing arguments are anticipated to start Thursday after the decide visits Fitzsimmons’ house.
Final week, Fitzsimmons determined to have Decide Jeffrey Karp determine whether or not she is responsible, as a substitute of dealing with a jury of her friends.
The case will seemingly rise and fall on how credible the decide discovered Noonan and Fitzsimmons’ testimony since they had been the one two upstairs on the time of the taking pictures and since each have reverse accounts of the confrontation.
Fitzsimmons has pleaded not responsible to 1 depend of assault with a lethal weapon.
In case you are combating suicidal ideas or are experiencing a psychological well being disaster and stay in New York Metropolis, you’ll be able to name 1-888-NYC-WELL totally free and confidential disaster counseling.
In case you stay outdoors the 5 boroughs, you’ll be able to dial the 24/7 Nationwide Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
