HAVERHILL, MASS. (WHDH) - An investigation is underway after a man who was acting erratically in Haverhill on Friday night died after being subdued and restrained by police outside a seafood restaurant, officials said.
Officers responding to a report of a man acting erratically in the area of 115 White St. found a 43-year-old man “behaving an in a belligerent manner and called from an ambulance to assess his well-being,” according to a statement issued by Essex District Attorney Paul F. Tucker.
A subsequent review of video surveillance in the area showed the man, identified by family members as Francis Gigliotti, weaving in and out of traffic and nearly being struck several times by passing motorists. The caller indicated the man had fallen on the floor when leaving the building, was running in the middle of the street, and that he hit a car with his head then continued running down White Street.
When the man fled from police and tried to enter the nearby Bradford Seafood, officers tried to restrain him and ended up on the ground with him in a struggle, the statement said.
During the encounter, the man became unresponsive, and first responders attempted lifesaving aid. EMS arrived moments later and transported the man to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
His fiancée, Michele Rooney, said she thought officers went beyond what was necessary when restraining him.
“It was just heartbreaking, they were just sitting there and all on top of him, and he had his shoe off and he had blood on his face, he was on his belly, so they were pushing him down, and I kept saying, ‘Just keep doing those compressions,’ and they were doing it so lightly,” she said.
Community members could be seen gathered outside the restaurant late into the night Saturday and a small memorial of lit candles were lined up along the building.
In a statement, Haverhill Mayor Melinda E. Barrett said, “I want to offer my condolences to the family of Francis Gigliotti and assure our community that I am closely monitoring the circumstances around his tragic death. The District Attorney’s office is investigating. 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.”
The incident remains under investigation by detectives assigned to the Office of the District Attorney, the Haverhill Police Department, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
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