LAWRENCE, Mass. (Court TV) — A former police officer accused of assaulting one of her fellow officers has elected to waive her right to a jury. Instead, a judge will decide her fate.
Kelsey Fitzsimmons speaks with the judge at a pretrial hearing on March 18, 2026. (Court TV)
Kelsey Fitzsimmons, 29, is charged with assault after she allegedly pointed a gun at an officer who was at her home serving a restraining order. Both Fitzsimmons and the officer were members of the North Andover Police Department at the time of the incident.
Fitzsimmons has pleaded not guilty and has said repeatedly in case filings and through her attorney in court that she had no intention of harming the alleged victim and was instead planning to use the gun on herself. Before Fitzsimmons could pull the trigger, the other officer opened fire and shot Fitzsimmons in the chest.
At a final pretrial hearing on Wednesday, Fitzsimmons took the witness stand for a colloquy with Judge Jeffrey Karp. Karp accepted her request not to have a jury hear her case and will instead issue the verdict himself at the close of the case.
While jury selection was initially scheduled to begin on Monday, the day will now begin with opening statements in her case. Judge Karp said he expects the case to run through the entire week.
