Judge Acquits Ex-North Andover Officer of Assault

A Massachusetts judge acquitted former North Andover police officer Kelsey Fitzsimmons of assault with a dangerous weapon on Thursday, March 26, 2026, following a bench trial in Lawrence Superior Court. The 29-year-old had been accused of pointing her service weapon at a fellow officer during a June 30, 2025, confrontation at her North Andover home, where police were serving a restraining order and taking temporary custody of her four-month-old son.

Judge Jeffrey Karp delivered the not guilty verdict after three days of testimony, stating that while he found both Fitzsimmons's and Officer Patrick Noonan's accounts credible, prosecutors failed to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. Karp noted the difficulty of the decision and acknowledged the challenges police officers face in high-stress situations, adding that he saw no evidence of a cover-up by law enforcement.

The incident unfolded when Noonan and two other officers arrived at Fitzsimmons's home on Phillips Brooks Road around 6 p.m. to serve the restraining order obtained by her fiancé, North Andover firefighter Justin Aylaian. Aylaian had alleged that Fitzsimmons struck him multiple times and posed a danger to him...