7 Haverhill police officers put on leave following man’s death

The police officers involved in an altercation that led to a Haverhill man s death have been placed on paid administrative leave as the episode is investigated according to the Merrimack Valley city s mayor Francis Gigliotti died Friday after police held him down outside a local seafood restaurant following reports that he had been acting erratically The City of Haverhill mourns the loss of Mr Gigliotti a lifelong resident I extend my deepest sympathies to his family and friends Losing a loved one is tragic but especially so under these circumstances Haverhill Mayor Melinda Barrett wrote in a message Mr Gigliotti his friends and family and the general deserve a thorough and transparent analysis of his death This is of utmost importance to me Barrett continued The seven officers involved have been placed on administrative leave while the study ensues Haverhill Police were dispatched to the -block of White Street a little before Friday night for reports of a man behaving erratically according to the Essex County District Attorney s office which is reviewing the police response The caller reported police the man later identified as Gigliotti had fallen to the floor after leaving a building and then was running through traffic nearly getting struck at multiple points and even hit his head on a car When police arrived they identified Gigliotti behaving in a belligerent manner according to the DA s office and called for an ambulance for an assessment But Gigliotti allegedly fled and attempted to enter Bradford Seafood at Winter St where officers brought him to the ground in a struggle During this struggle Gigliotti became unresponsive EMS transported him to a hospital where he was pronounced dead The seven police officers at the scene have been placed on leave as the DA s office investigates I am eager to hear the outcome of this assessment and see how the department and the City can learn and grow from this in the name of truth justice and residents safety At this time I continue to urge patience as the inquiry continues and all of the facts are disclosed Mayor Barrett wrote in her declaration She added that she is committed to building materials and funding additional training and equipment for the Haverhill PD She declared that while officers of the department do not at this moment use body-worn cameras the city has worked it into the contract with the Superior Officers union and is actively seeking the same agreement with our patrol officers Memorial messages are scrawled on the sidewalk outside Bradford Seafood on Winter Street in Haverhill where a man died after a struggle with police Todd Prussman Boston Herald