A Massachusetts police officer, Kelsey Fitzsimmons, was wounded during an off-duty altercation with a fellow officer. The incident took place when three officers arrived at Fitzsimmons’ residence to serve her a restraining order. Fitzsimmons, a 28-year-old North Andover officer and recent mother, was shot once during an armed confrontation that ensued while the court order was being served.
Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker confirmed that one of the responding officers discharged their firearm during the incident. Fitzsimmons was immediately airlifted to a Boston hospital, where she is currently in stable condition. The restraining order served to Fitzsimmons was a standard 209A order, a measure designed to protect victims from abuse, according to state records. However, further details about the restraining order have not been made public.
Fitzsimmons, who recently got engaged to a North Andover firefighter, is also a new mother to a baby boy born on February 16. She holds a degree in criminal justice and has been serving with the North Andover Police Department for approximately a year and a half. At the time of the incident, Fitzsimmons was on administrative leave and had requested the return of her service weapon. The reason for her leave has not been disclosed.
Under the terms of the restraining order, the police officers were obligated to retrieve any firearms present in Fitzsimmons’ home. The court document filed against Fitzsimmons indicated that the Andover Police were aware that serving the restraining order could potentially be dangerous. The document stated, “Defendant is an officer with a license to carry. Plaintiff expressed concerns regarding Defendant’s reaction to being served.” However, it has not been confirmed whether Fitzsimmons was armed during the confrontation.
The identity of the officer who shot Fitzsimmons has not been revealed, but it was disclosed that the officer had been serving in the department for over two decades.