Disgraced Massachusetts Officer Shot in Chest by Colleague — Stares Down Him in Court Drama

Last year, Kelsey Fitzsimmons, an off-duty Massachusetts police officer, had a violent confrontation with her colleague, Patrick Noonan. Fitzsimmons is now facing charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, and her bench trial is underway at the Essex County Superior Court in Lawrence.

The incident took place on June 30, 2025, at Fitzsimmons’s house in North Andover. At the time, she was on maternity leave, having given birth to a son just four months earlier. Meanwhile, her then-fiancé, firefighter Justin Aylaian, filed a restraining order against her and won custody of their son.

Noonan and two other officers entered Fitzsimmons’s home to serve the restraining order. As Noonan headed upstairs, he found Fitzsimmons, 29, packing her baby’s items. The two then got into an armed confrontation. Noonan says Fitzsimmons pointed her gun at him and pulled the trigger, but the firearm did not go off as it was jammed.

Fitzsimmons then allegedly loaded the gun again. At this point, Noonan fired two shots at her, one of which hit her chest.

“She reappeared with a gun and pointed it right at me and pulled the trigger. I screamed her name. I was completely shocked. She had the drop on me,” Noonan testified on March 23.

He once again took the witness stand on March 24 and told the court, “She pointed a gun at my face and pulled the trigger.” As Noonan was testifying, Fitzsimmons gave him a side-eye, which was captured on camera.

Fitzsimmons’ defense attorney, Timothy Bradl, claims that she did not point her gun at Noonan and was instead going to shoot herself. The defense says she was suffering from postpartum depression and reacted the way she did because she could not see her baby being taken away from her.

Bradl says Fitzsimmons’ depression was so severe that her fiancé, Aylaian, moved out of their home and wanted to take their baby with him, suspecting that the off-duty officer could harm them or herself. Fitzsimmons says she is now in a much better mental state after seeking professional help.

During the trial, Bradl argued that Noonan should not have shot Fitzsimmons and asked him, “You know it’s prohibited for someone to use deadly force on someone who is only exhibiting harm to themselves?”

When Noonan replied, “Absolutely,” Bradl asked why he did not use a Taser gun to combat Fitzsimmons. “We meet deadly force with deadly force,” Noonan responded.

As the trial continues, the judge and attorneys will be conducting a viewing of the home where the shooting took place. If convicted, Fitzsimmons could face up to five years in prison.

Meanwhile, Noonan is not facing any criminal charges in relation to the shooting. His case has been treated as an instance of lawful self-defense by an officer. He remains on active duty with the North Andover Police Department.