NORTH ANDOVER — A video released Monday afternoon shows the moments leading up to the shooting of a North Andover police officer in her home by a colleague last June.
Kelsey Fitzsimmons, 29, of North Andover, was arraigned in August on one charge of assault by means of a dangerous weapon stemming from the shooting inside her home on June 30. Police said she was shot by one of the responding officers, Officer Patrick Noonan, sent to her home during the service of an abuse prevention order filed against her by her former fiance, North Andover firefighter Justin Aylaian.
The video clip comes as Fitzsimmons awaits her Superior Court case to be heard in March and an ongoing custody battle with the father of her infant son.
The home surveillance video takes place about 12 minutes before police shot Fitzsimmons after serving her with an abuse prevention order from her former fiance June 30.
Fitzsimmons is seen carrying her then 4-month-old son to answer a knock at the front porch door by Lt. Sean Daley. When she opens the door in socks, shorts and a T-shirt, Daley steps up and into the enclosed porch immediately and motions Fitzsimmons farther into the porch. He’s followed by officer Patrick Noonan.
In the video, Fitzsimmons holds onto her child’s hand and back and appears confused when she turns back to say something to Daley before he is seen shaking paperwork. The two then enter the main door of the home. Noonan enters immediately behind him wearing black medical gloves.
Officer Timothy Houston then enters the porch area before closing the door and following the others into the home.
Previously, Fitzsimmons said she was on the couch feeding her child when police arrived at her 125 Phillips Brooks Road home that evening. She had been home for about an hour following a failed attempt to meet up with Aylaian at a local park with their son, according to a statement she made in July.
When the three officers arrived that evening, Daley advised Fitzsimmons about the court order and how Aylaian would obtain custody of their child, according to court documents. Police reported they arrived at around 6 p.m. Aylaian allegedly was called to the house about 10 minutes later, according to court filings.
While police reported two officers went upstairs with Fitzsimmons to gather items for her child in an upstairs bedroom, Houston left Noonan and Fitzsimmons to monitor Aylaian when he arrived to pick up his things and the child.
Noonan alleged Fitzsimmons was alone with her in the bedroom when she lunged behind the door and reappeared pointing a gun at him, police stated in an official report following the incident.
Noonan alleged Fitzsimmons pulled the trigger, but the weapon did not fire. Noonan stated that Fitzsimmons then tried to reload the gun after it did not fire, prompting him to shoot her, according to the police report.
Noonan’s second shot struck Fitzsimmons in the chest.
Fitzsimmons claimed she never pointed the gun at another officer, just her temple. She claimed she was pointing the gun at her own head in a failed suicide attempt as her infant son was being taken away.
Assistant District Attorney James Gubitose filed a series of notices of discovery this month. The discovery was provided to Fitzsimmons’ defense team of Timothy Bradl and Martha Coakley. Discovery items submitted included a thumb drive of materials from the North Andover Police Department along with certificates and training for Noonan and Daley. It also provided the training history of Fitzsimmons and Houston as well as 911 calls and radio transmissions from the department.
State prosecutors also included an incident report from Wilmington, North Carolina, and materials from North Carolina Superior Court regarding a 2018 incident involving Fitzsimmons.
Fitzsimmons is scheduled for a pretrial hearing regarding any discovery motions on Feb. 9 in Essex County Superior Court in Salem, Massachusetts. Her trial is set to begin March 23.