North Andover Police Officer Shot by Fellow Officer During Armed Confrontation at Residence

I wish I could say this was just another routine incident. But when an off-duty officer ends up shot by her own colleague—in her own home—it shakes more than just a department. It hits at the heart of how fragile things can get, even among those sworn to protect.

This happened in North Andover. A young officer, Kelsey Fitzsimmons, was at home when three fellow cops showed up to serve her a court-ordered restraining order. Within minutes, something went very wrong. One of them—a 20-year veteran—fired a single shot that sent her to the hospital.

Now, let’s be clear: there’s still a lot we don’t know. No charges have been filed yet. Officials are saying it was an “armed confrontation,” but haven’t said whether Fitzsimmons had a weapon. There’s no bodycam footage, and the full timeline hasn’t been made public.

What we do know is this: a young woman with a baby at home, a job in law enforcement, and a recent history of postpartum mental health struggles was shot by someone she probably knew personally—someone from her own department.

That’s not a headline. That’s a reality a lot of people—officers, families, and communities—are going to be sitting with for a long time.

The goal here isn’t to sensationalize. It’s to unpack what actually happened, and why it matters—not just in North Andover, but in every police department that handles mental health, restraining orders, and internal crises like this.

What’s your take on this? Do you think departments are equipped to handle complex cases involving their own? I’d love to hear what you think.

What Actually Happened That Evening?

If you’re trying to piece this together, here’s what we know so far—and what’s still unclear.

It was just after 6:30 p.m. on Monday, when officers showed up at a quiet home on Phillips Brooks Road in North Andover. They weren’t responding to a crime in progress. They were there to serve a restraining order—on one of their own.

The woman inside was 28-year-old Kelsey Fitzsimmons, an off-duty officer with the North Andover Police Department. She had recently returned to work after maternity leave. At that moment, she was being told to surrender her firearms as part of a court-issued 209A protective order.

According to CBS Boston, the confrontation escalated quickly. The department hasn’t released full details yet, but it’s confirmed that a veteran officer fired one shot during what was described as an “armed confrontation.” That bullet hit Fitzsimmons in the chest.

She was flown by medical helicopter to a Boston hospital. As of now, she’s stable. And the officer who fired the shot? He’s on administrative leave.

You and I both know there’s more to this than just a standoff. There’s a full story—mental health, department culture, family dynamics—and we’ll get into all of it. But that moment, right there in her home, is where it all cracked open.

Who Is Kelsey Fitzsimmons—and Why Was a Restraining Order Filed?

Let’s talk about the woman at the center of all this—not as a headline, but as a human being.

Kelsey Fitzsimmons isn’t a long-time officer. She joined the department in May 2024. She recently gave birth, and sources say she was engaged to a local firefighter. A new mom. A young officer. Someone trying to balance two heavy worlds.

But things weren’t okay behind closed doors. According to WCVB, her fiancé filed for a restraining order out of concern for his own safety—and for their baby’s. The court granted it, and with that came the mandatory firearm surrender.

And here’s a tough layer: she had already been struggling. Fitzsimmons was hospitalized earlier in the year for postpartum depression. At that time, she surrendered her weapons voluntarily. She was later cleared to return to duty in June.

Think about that for a second. You’re a new mom. You’ve just returned to a high-pressure job. And someone close to you, someone you live with, tells a court he’s afraid of what you might do. Whether you side with him or not, that kind of emotional terrain is rough.

It raises real questions: Were the right supports in place? Was she ready to be back in uniform? Were others watching for signs that she wasn’t okay?

This part isn’t about blame—it’s about recognizing a pressure cooker before it blows.

We’ve seen similar community trauma unfold in Scott County, where a fatal home invasion left more questions than answers.

What Really Happened During That Confrontation?

This is the part you and I are probably asking the most about: how did things spiral from a protective order to a gunshot?

Three officers went to the home. One of them was a supervisor. The goal? Serve the order, recover the firearms, and leave safely. That’s the standard process when a 209A order is filed against someone who owns weapons—cop or not.

But at some point, it became more than a routine check. Police say there was an “armed confrontation.” Fitzsimmons reportedly became combative. What hasn’t been confirmed yet is whether she had a weapon in her hand—or was just resisting.

There are no bodycams. North Andover PD doesn’t use them. So we’re left with just official statements, which are still limited.

One shot was fired. Just one. And it came from a 20+ year veteran officer.

If you’ve ever talked to cops who’ve served restraining orders, especially on fellow officers, you know how tense and unpredictable it can be. There’s a reason this is one of the most dangerous things police can do: you’re taking weapons from someone who may feel betrayed, isolated, or emotionally unstable.

Still, there’s a huge gap in clarity here. What did she do that made a veteran cop feel he had no other choice? Until the investigation concludes, that question lingers—and not just for the public, but for everyone who wears a badge.

These moments can escalate fast—like a recent overnight shooting involving a teen in West Atlanta where a domestic call turned into a tragedy before help could arrive.

What’s the Status of the Investigation—and What’s Still Missing?

You deserve the full picture—and right now, that picture is incomplete.

The case is being investigated by the Essex County District Attorney’s Office and the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit. Standard protocol for an officer-involved shooting. So far, no criminal charges have been announced. No officer’s name has been released publicly—not even the one who pulled the trigger.

Why? Because, in Massachusetts, there’s a pretty tight lid on active investigations involving police.

Here’s what we do know:

• Fitzsimmons is recovering in a hospital
• The officer who fired is on paid administrative leave
• No bodycam footage exists (North Andover officers don’t wear them)
• It’s still not clear whether she was holding or pointing a weapon when shot

And that last point matters—because it shapes whether this was a justified use of force or a preventable tragedy.

Transparency is one of the big gaps here. You and I both know how fast public trust erodes when people feel like facts are being filtered—or worse, buried. The department hasn’t offered much more than a brief statement. The DA’s office says they’ll release more after interviews are complete.

In the meantime, we’re left waiting—and wondering.

Updates are still coming in—if you follow local alerts or police updates via WhatsApp, this is definitely one to keep an eye on.

Why Serving Restraining Orders on Police Officers Is a Whole Different Risk?

Here’s something I wish more people talked about—how dangerous it is to serve a restraining order to someone with a badge.

You might think, “But they’re trained professionals.” True. But that’s also what makes it harder. They know how the system works. They know the weapons protocols. And many times, they know the officers coming to their door.

When officers are asked to serve a 209A on one of their own, it’s never routine. There’s always tension. Always risk.

In this case, there were added layers: postpartum mental health, recent reinstatement, weapons involved, a child in the home. All of it made the situation incredibly volatile.

The Essex County DA even said it straight up: serving these orders can be some of the most dangerous calls police respond to. Especially when the person on the other side of that door is a trained officer who may feel backed into a corner.

I want to pause here and say this isn’t about blaming anyone—it’s about understanding the stakes. Because if we keep treating these moments like isolated incidents instead of part of a deeper systemic pattern, we’re going to keep seeing more of them.

And maybe that’s the takeaway here for you and me: real change doesn’t come from reacting after the shot is fired. It comes from noticing who’s not okay before we send them back into the field.

In Pineville, a parolee involved in a home invasion and arson case faced swift legal consequences—proof that justice systems act differently depending on context.

How This Affected the North Andover Community—and the Police Itself?

Let’s not pretend this only happened to one officer. Incidents like this ripple far beyond the people directly involved.

If you live in or around North Andover, you probably felt the tension the moment this story broke. A police cruiser outside a fellow cop’s home. A medical helicopter overhead. Rumors flying before facts could catch up.

And for the officers? Imagine serving next to someone one week, then watching them become the center of a criminal investigation the next. That hits morale hard. It also forces departments to look in the mirror.

Does North Andover PD have the right tools to handle internal mental health crises? Do they have a system that catches the early signs before someone spirals? And what happens when trust gets broken—not just between officers, but between the department and the community?

Let’s also talk about the big issue: bodycams. North Andover cops don’t wear them. That means there’s no footage to confirm—or contradict—what happened inside that house. For a town that’s growing and changing fast, that’s a major policy gap.

If you care about community safety and accountability, this story isn’t just one to watch. It’s one to ask about—publicly. Because silence is what lets these things keep happening.

What Happens Next? Legal Possibilities and Department Fallout

This case is far from over. And you and I both know that how it ends will say a lot about how police departments handle their own.

Here’s what’s likely ahead:

• The District Attorney’s Office will complete its investigation in the coming weeks
• If evidence suggests wrongdoing—excessive force, for example—charges could be filed against the officer who fired
• Even if no criminal case is made, the department will probably conduct its own internal review
• Fitzsimmons may face further restrictions—or even removal from the force—depending on how the court views her behavior
• Civil lawsuits are possible, too—especially if her family believes excessive force was used

What’s missing right now is transparency around next steps. No officer has been officially named. No timeline has been shared. And while you might expect that in a criminal case, it raises real trust issues when the department is investigating itself.

Also, don’t forget the policy-level implications: Will this trigger reform around officer wellness checks? Will towns like North Andover finally adopt bodycams? What about stronger protocols for restraining orders served on law enforcement?

We’re not there yet. But this incident could be a turning point—if people demand it.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need to wear a badge to feel the weight of this story. It’s about trust, pressure, and the invisible struggles that don’t always show up in reports.

If we want safer communities—and stronger departments—we have to start seeing the full human story behind the uniform.

For more coverage on real-life policing incidents and community impact, visit our home incidents section.

Disclaimer: This article is based on currently available public reports. Investigations are ongoing, and facts may evolve. All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise.