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North Andover Officer Waives Jury, Will Face Short Bench Trial Next Week

A judge will decide the case focused on what happened inside the room during the restraining-order service.

Overview

  • Bench trial is set to begin Monday before Judge Jeffrey Karp in Lawrence Superior Court and is expected to conclude within a few days.
  • Kelsey Fitzsimmons has pleaded not guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon tied to the June 30, 2025 encounter at her home during service of a restraining order.
  • Prosecutors say she pointed her service weapon at officers and was then shot; the defense says she aimed the gun at herself and cites a postpartum mental-health crisis.
  • A newly released joint witness list names numerous North Andover police and Massachusetts State Police personnel, as well as her former fiancé, firefighter Justin Aylaian, who is on paid administrative leave.
  • Recent rulings let her relocate to Newburyport under house-arrest safeguards, and Judge Karp disclosed a past DA’s office overlap with her attorney while affirming his impartiality.