A former police officer from Massachusetts, who was shot and wounded by a fellow officer attempting to serve her with a restraining order, has been released from custody on bail.
The Confrontation and Conflicting Accounts
Kelsey Fitzsimmons, a 29-year-old former officer with the North Andover Police Department, was shot during the incident at her home in June. Prosecutors allege that Fitzsimmons pointed a firearm at the officers who arrived to deliver a court order requested by her firefighter fiancé. This action, they say, led an officer to shoot her twice in the chest.
Fitzsimmons and her legal team contest this version of events. They claim she pointed the weapon at her own head, not at the three officers present. The restraining order had been filed by her fiancé, who expressed fears for the safety of their infant son. In his petition, he stated Fitzsimmons had threatened to kill the child or take him away. He also alleged she punched her stomach while pregnant and assaulted him while intoxicated on June 28.
Path to Bail and Legal Proceedings
Fitzsimmons spent the summer recovering from her gunshot wounds in hospital custody before being moved to jail in September. She was initially denied bail for refusing a court-ordered breathalyser test. Her lawyers argued her chest injuries made the required deep-lung exhale physically impossible.
During a hearing at Essex Superior Court on Tuesday, her attorney, Timothy Bradl, successfully argued her breathing had improved. After finally passing the breathalyser test, a judge agreed to release her. She will now be under house arrest at her mother's home in Methuen, wearing an ankle monitor. Conditions of her bail strictly forbid contact with her fiancé, her child, or any witnesses, and she must avoid firearms and alcohol.
Career Suspension and Upcoming Trial
Fitzsimmons had been on the police force for approximately 18 months at the time of the shooting. Prior warning signs included a March incident where emergency services responded to her home for a mental health episode. She was hospitalised for 12 hours and diagnosed with postpartum depression, surrendering her service weapon at that time.
Although medically cleared and reinstated to active duty in June, her licence to carry a firearm and her law enforcement certification have since been suspended by the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission. She has pleaded not guilty to charges of armed assault with intent to murder and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. Her trial is scheduled to begin on February 9.
Speaking outside the court in Salem, Fitzsimmons maintained her innocence. "I just have full faith in the juror system and it's going to be good when the truth comes out," she told reporters.
