Kelsey Fitzsimmons on 24/7 house arrest after being shot by fellow officer

North Andover officer on house arrest after being shot in restraining order confrontation

Kelsey Fitzsimmons, the 28-year-old North Andover police officer wounded by a colleague during a dramatic confrontation at her home, has been released into her mother’s custody under 24/7 house arrest while awaiting trial.

Fitzsimmons walked out of Essex County Superior Court on Monday fitted with a GPS monitoring bracelet following a bail hearing. Outside, she declared: “The truth will come out,” standing with her family and defence team.

She faces a charge of assault by means of a dangerous weapon after the June 30 incident, when three officers attempted to serve her with a restraining order filed by her fiancé, firefighter Justin Aylaian, the father of her child.

According to the official police report, Officer Patrick Noonan shot Fitzsimmons in the chest after she allegedly aimed her service weapon at him inside her bedroom. Noonan stated she pulled the trigger but the gun misfired, and that she then attempted to reload, prompting him to fire.

Fitzsimmons disputes this version. She insists she never threatened another officer, claiming instead she held the gun to her temple during a mental health crisis. She described being shot by someone she considered a friend during what she said was a failed attempt to take her own life.

Judge Kathleen McCarthy-Neyman released her on personal recognisance but imposed strict conditions. Fitzsimmons can leave her mother’s Methuen home only for medical appointments, psychiatric treatment, court appearances or legal meetings, all with prior notice. She is banned from possessing weapons, using alcohol, or contacting witnesses and the victim.

Her mother, Lauren Page, has full responsibility for transporting her to appointments. Defence counsel confirmed that Fitzsimmons and her family agreed to every condition. Page and her husband, William, are also listed as witnesses, but the court permitted incidental daily contact provided they do not discuss the case.

Fitzsimmons is barred from any direct or indirect communication with her young child, who was present during the incident. She may view photographs but is forbidden from texting, video chatting, or relaying messages through others.

Probation officers have already inspected the home, confirming no firearms are kept there. Only approved individuals may reside in the property. A stepsibling has been cleared to live with her, while her stepbrother and his partner have moved out following the court’s concerns about “potential turmoil.”

The court also addressed Fitzsimmons’ scheduled liver surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital. Concerns were raised over her GPS bracelet being removed during the operation. The procedure has since been postponed, but Judge McCarthy-Neyman requested an affidavit from her doctor for when it does proceed.

Her lawyers, including Martha Coakley and Timothy Bradl, emphasised their focus on reuniting Fitzsimmons with her child through upcoming proceedings in Essex County Probate and Family Court, scheduled for 23 September. Bradl argued that family court, rather than the criminal case, should decide custody matters.

For now, Fitzsimmons remains confined to her mother’s home under round-the-clock surveillance, unable to see her son but determined to fight the charges. Her case continues to draw intense public scrutiny, combining allegations of domestic strife, disputed police conduct, and the involvement of two emergency service professionals whose relationship has unravelled in full view of the law.