By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• A Massachusetts police officer on trial testified about a June 2025 shooting involving an off-duty colleague.
• North Andover Police Officer Patrick Noonan said the colleague retrieved a gun and fired at him, prompting him to shoot her.
• The off-duty officer, Kelsey Fitzsimmons, was shot in the chest and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon.
• Noonan’s testimony came during Fitzsimmons’ trial in Essex Superior Court in Lawrence, Mass.
• Prosecutors are nearing the end of their case; the defense is expected to begin its presentation.
LAWRENCE, MA — A Massachusetts police officer on trial for his role in a June 2025 shooting took the witness stand Wednesday, saying the off-duty colleague involved raised a firearm and pulled the trigger, forcing him to shoot her in self-defense.
North Andover Police Officer Patrick Noonan testified in Essex Superior Court that Kelsey Fitzsimmons, a former North Andover officer, lunged for a gun in her bedroom and fired at him as he and other officers served a restraining order at her home.
Noonan said he repeatedly yelled at Fitzsimmons to stop before firing twice, striking her in the chest. The trial has featured testimony from multiple witnesses, including fellow officers and forensic experts.
Fitzsimmons, 29, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon in connection with the incident. Her defense has challenged parts of Noonan’s account, and prosecutors have called nine witnesses before nearing the end of their case.
The defense is preparing to present its case; it was not immediately clear whether Fitzsimmons would testify. Court proceedings continue in Lawrence.