HAVERHILL, MASS. (WHDH) - The death of a man restrained by Haverhill police in July has been ruled a homicide, according to officials.
The medical examiner made that determination about the death of Francis Gigliotti.
“Good, I’m glad,” said Michelle Rooney, Gigliotti’s fiancé. “This is just the beginning.”
On July 11, cell phone video shows several officers arresting Gigliotti. During that encounter, he became unresponsive.
Seven officers were seen in the video and were immediately placed on leave.
The medical examiner said Gigliotti had drugs in his system and ruled the cause of death was cardiac dysrhythmia in a person with acute intoxication due to the combined effects of cocaine and ethanol while being restrained.
The attorney representing the Gigliotti family wrote in a statement, “If the police needlessly create a circumstance where they claim deadly force is necessary, they will not enjoy the shield of immunity from prosecution.”
Prosecutors are looking into whether officers did anything wrong.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)