A man identified by his family as Francis Gigliotti, aged 43, was pronounced dead after a tumultuous encounter with Haverhill police on Friday. The incident began near 115 White St. where Gigliotti exhibited erratic behavior, stumbling and hitting his head on a vehicle, as captured on video surveillance. He was observed weaving through traffic, risking multiple near-misses by cars, before officers responded to the scene, as reported from both WCVB and NBC10 Boston confirmed.
According to the Essex County District Attorney's Office and the Haverhill Police statements, officers found Gigliotti acting belligerently and called for an ambulance to assess his well-being, but before its arrival, he attempted to enter Bradford Seafood at 124 Winter St, and as officers tried to restrain him for his and the public's safety, they ended up on the ground outside the eatery, and during the ensuing struggle Gigliotti became unresponsive and later died despite receiving life-saving aid from first responders. Meanwhile, the owner of Bradford Seafood defended the actions of the police by stating, "He was out of control put it this way and the police department protected the public," and described Gigliotti's behavior as resisting arrest in a statement to NBC10 Boston.
However, witnesses painted a chilling scene, where Gigliotti was reportedly seen pinned to the ground by seven officers, "crying for help, help, he couldn't breathe," said Isaiah Dotson, Gigliotti’s partner at Teddy Bear Roofing, to NBC10 Boston, Gigliotti's niece, Albanee, shared with NBC10 Boston her inability to watch the video footage of the incident, finding even the audio of her uncle's cries too much to bear.
A statement from Haverhill Mayor Melinda Barrett offered condolences to the Gigliotti family and assured the community that an investigation into the "tragic death" was underway; she promised "complete transparency" and urged patience as the facts are gathered, "I promise complete transparency to our community and ask that everyone remain patient and calm as this investigation ensues and more information is made available," she told to NBC10 Boston; adding another layer to the tragedy is Gigliotti's fiancé, Michelle Rooney, who recounted through tears to NBC10 Boston the harrowing details of seeing her fiancé on the ground just minutes after speaking with him.
This grievous event culminated in a vigil held by friends and family on Saturday night outside Bradford Seafood, as they gathered to honor Gigliotti's memory; the case is still under investigation by the Essex District Attorney's Office, the Haverhill Police Department, and the chief medical examiner's office, with further details yet to be disclosed.
