CHICAGO — As Chicago gears up for its mayoral election, scheduled for less than a year from now, the city’s political landscape is beginning to shift.

Mayor Brandon Johnson, whose future political intentions remain somewhat ambiguous, recently engaged in an exclusive interview to discuss his plans.

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With the February election drawing closer, Johnson is anticipated to encounter several contenders vying for his position. On Monday, he addressed questions about his potential reelection bid while simultaneously critiquing potential opponents.

During a comprehensive interview, Johnson appeared largely indifferent to the 2027 election and any potential challengers he might face.

“I recognize that some people are already starting their political campaigns. I get it,” Johnson remarked. “But when I’m out and about in Chicago, no one is really asking me about my reelection.”

The mayor continued to deflect about his political future.

When asked if he’s planning to run for a second term, Johnson said, “Well, right now, my plan is to continue to drive violence down in the city of Chicago to make sure that we’re investing in communities. As I’ve said repeatedly, there will be plenty of time for politics.”

“I’ve done both at the same time. As a Cook County commissioner, I was governing and I ran for mayor,” Johnson said. “So, it’s clear that I know how to multitask. I can govern and run for something. I’ve done it multiple times. Not only have I done it multiple times, I’ve won every time.”

Since the first of the year, one potential mayoral rival, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, has reported raising nearly $12 million.

By comparison, Mayor Johnson has reported raising just $58,000 during that time.

“Well, what we saw on this last election cycle, you saw people spend multiple millions,” Johnson said. “And it’s evident that money alone does not guarantee someone’s success.”

When talking about successes, Johnson touted the effort to reduce violent crime in Chicago, which happened under the direction of his first deputy mayor for public safety, Garien Gatewood. He was fired last Thursday.

Mayor Johnson addressed that decision for the first time.

“This is about making sure that my vision gets carried out. I’m carrying out that vision. That’s my responsibility, right?” Johnson said.

And while reelection talk may be for another day, Johnson sent a not so subtle signal.

“We have seen many high-profile donors in this city who have been bosses of previous mayors. Right? The difference for me right now is that I’m not bossed by the same people who are trying to boss the electorate. I’m not going to do it, and I’m not going to stand for it,” Johnson said.

The mayor also confirmed that in the search for a new CEO for Chicago Public Schools, he has interviewed the two finalists recommended to him. But he says he wants to talk to them again before making a recommendation to the Board of Education.

This article contains discussions of suicide. If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988 or calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Prosecutors have highlighted that a fellow officer’s survival was due to both tactical expertise and sheer luck: the chamber of Kelsey Fitzsimmons’ firearm was empty at a critical moment.

On June 25, 2025, Kelsey Fitzsimmons, who was serving as a police officer in North Andover, was reportedly involved in a life-threatening incident. She allegedly aimed her weapon at a colleague and tried to discharge it, leading to her being shot by a fellow officer. Fitzsimmons, aged 28, was subsequently arrested and charged with armed assault with the intent to murder, as well as two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon.

The case moved forward when Fitzsimmons was indicted in Essex Superior Court later that same month. A grand jury reviewed the charges and decided to indict her on a single count of assault with a dangerous weapon. Fitzsimmons is now preparing to face a bench trial for this charge.

The confrontation that led to these events involved Kelsey Fitzsimmons and her fellow officers. (Image: North Andover Police Department)

Prosecutors allege that she tried to shoot Patrick Noonan as he was serving her a restraining order from her fiancé. Fitzsimmons disputes this version of events, maintaining that she was pointing the gun at herself in a suicide attempt.

Assistant Essex District Attorney James Gubitose told Judge Jeffrey Karp Monday in opening statements that the former North Andover police officer pointed her service weapon at Noonan and pulled the trigger during a confrontation at her home, framing the encounter as a near-fatal assault rather than a mental health crisis.

“The defendant raised her gun,” Gubitose said in opening statements. “There are two reasons that Patrick Noonan is alive today. The first being that Miss Fitzsimmons’ gun, while it had a full magazine, it did not have a round in the chamber. The second reason is that Patrick Noonan had years, decades of training, and experience, reacting in a calm, professional way when he protected both himself and everyone else in that house.”

Fitzsimmons has pleaded not guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon in connection with the June 2025 incident, which occurred when officers arrived to serve a restraining order obtained by her fiancé, Justin Aylaian. The restraining order required Fitzsimmons to have no contact with her child and surrender her weapons.

North Andover Police Officer Kelsey Fitzsimmons at her arraignment at the J. Michael Ruane Judicial Center on Aug. 28, 2025. (Ben Pennington/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

According to the prosecution, Fitzsimmons retrieved a firearm from another room and returned to confront officers. The gun did not fire, prosecutors said, because no round was chambered. Officers then attempted to defuse the situation.

“Kelsey, don’t do it. Drop it. Kelsey, don’t do it,” Gubitose said, describing officers pleading with Fitzsimmons. “She is stepping backwards now.”

At that point, the officer opened fire, prosecutors said.

“He fires twice. She has now moved. He misses, and then strikes her,” Gubitose said.

Kelsey Fitzsimmons is seen in images from the North Andover Police Department.  (North Andover Police Department.)

Fitzsimmons’ defense attorney, Timothy Bradl, painted a different picture. He shared that the mom was struggling with postpartum depression and was suicidal.

“Kelsey, no. Kelsey, no. You don’t say that when you’re staring at the muzzle of a gun pointed at you. You say that to a person who has a gun to their head, and you don’t shoot someone in the chest when they are seeking clearly to only harm themselves,” he said.

“And when you do that, you quickly realize, Your Honor, that you need to adjust the narrative to save yourself. That’s what this case is about, Your Honor.”

Bradl said the events followed a sudden personal collapse for Fitzsimmons.

“On June 30, 2025, Miss Fitzsimmons’ entire world imploded. It was destroyed when her fiancé obtained a restraining order behind her back. The North Andover Police had to serve that order.”

Bradl described her as overwhelmed and humiliated as officers arrived.

“And that day, Your Honor, Kelsey stood in her house, in humiliation, in front of her police colleagues and friends,” he said.

North Andover Police Officer Kelsey Fitzsimmons at her arraignment at the J. Michael Ruane Judicial Center on Aug. 28, 2025.  (Ben Pennington/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

The defense said Fitzsimmons then made a decision to take her own life.

“She made a decision for herself. It’s a decision that takes your breath away. She decides to end her life with her firearm in her bedroom,” Bradl said.

They rejected the prosecution’s theory that she posed a threat: “The idea of harming them, the evidence will show, is ludicrous.”

Bradl also challenged the portrayal of the officer involved, arguing his response reflected panic rather than control.

“The evidence will show that he is not some super cool James Bond type, law enforcement officer, that he has a look of panic on his face, and that he’s flustered.”

“And that’s when the words, Kelsey, no, Kelsey, no, are uttered. No law enforcement officer, judge, the evidence will show, in his right mind, would bargain with someone who has their hand on the trigger and the muzzle in your face.”

North Andover police officer Kelsey Fitzsimmons’ mother and stepfather hold hands as their daughter’s attorney, Timothy Bradl, answers questions from reporters following her arraignment at the J. Michael Ruane Judicial Center on Aug. 28, 2025. (Ben Pennington/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Instead, the defense said, he was trying to stop a suicide.

“The evidence here, judge, will show that he was trying to tell her not to kill herself.”

The defense said Fitzsimmons never pointed the gun at officers and that the shooting resulted from a misinterpretation.

Because she waived her right to a jury, Judge Karp will decide the verdict. Fox News Digital has reached out to Bradl for comment. 

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Bill Cosby has been mandated to pay $19.25 million in damages following a civil jury’s decision in favor of Donna Motsinger, a former waitress who accused the comedian of drugging and sexually assaulting her. This verdict marks a significant moment in Motsinger’s long quest for justice, spanning over five decades.

Outside the courthouse in Santa Monica, California, Motsinger expressed her relief to the New York Times, stating, “It has been 54 years to get justice, and I know it’s not complete for the rest of the women, but I hope it helps them a little bit.” Her words highlight the long and arduous journey she and many other women have faced in seeking accountability.

The jury awarded Motsinger $17.5 million for past damages and an additional $1.75 million for future damages. These compensations account for the profound impact on her life, including “mental suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, inconvenience, grief, anxiety, humiliation, and emotional distress.”

In the narrative that emerged in court, the jury concurred that Cosby, now 88, had sexually assaulted and battered Motsinger while she was working as a waitress in 1972 in Sausalito, California. This incident adds to the troubling legacy that has followed Cosby in recent years.

Details from a document filed in Los Angeles Superior Court recount the events leading up to the assault. After Motsinger served Cosby at The Trident restaurant, he approached her as she was returning to her home in Mill Valley. Cosby invited her to attend his show at the Circle Star Theater in San Carlos later that evening, an invitation Motsinger accepted. This marked the beginning of a night that would alter her life forever.

Motsinger said Cosby picked her up in a limousine from her house and gave her a glass of wine along the way, but she started feeling sick, so he gave her what she thought was aspirin. After that, she recalled going in and out of consciousness.

“She woke up in her house with all her clothes off, except her underwear on – no top, no bra, and no pants,” her attorney stated. “She knew she had been drugged and raped by Bill Cosby.”

Cosby, who has denied Motsinger’s accusations, as well as those of dozens of women in past cases, admitted during a deposition for the trial that he received multiple refills for Quaaludes from a gynecologist at a poker game, according to TMZ.

Cosby’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, said in an email that they are disappointed and fully intend to appeal the verdict.

Once a widely beloved figure referred to as “America’s Dad,” Cosby served three years for sexual assault before the conviction was overturned in 2021 for procedural reasons.