The death of a man who was being restrained by police in Haverhill in July has been ruled a homicide, raising the possibility that the officers involved could face criminal charges.
In a statement on Friday, Essex District Attorney Paul F. Tucker’s office said the state’s medical examiner’s office had concluded that the cause of Francis Gigliotti‘s death on July 11 was “cardiac dysrhythmia in a person with acute intoxication due to the combined effects of cocaine and ethanol while being restrained prone by police.”
The manner of death was a homicide, the medical examiner concluded.
“In determining whether the actions of the police officers were reasonable and justified under the circumstances in light of the applicable legal standards, we will be carefully reviewing all of the medical examiner’s findings, along with all other pertinent information surrounding this incident,” prosecutors said in a statement Friday.
Gigliotti’s fiancée, Michele Rooney, said that the findings of the medical examiner didn’t surprise her.
“It was exactly what all of us knew,” she said in an interview Friday. “It just took a matter of time.”
She said she and Gigliotti’s relatives “absolutely” want to see criminal charges brought in the case, words echoed by a lawyer for the family, Timothy J. Bradl.
“The Gigliotti family is gratified that the medical examiner’s office has accurately described the manner of Francis’ death as a homicide,” he said 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 or civil remedies in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. We look forward to the completion of the investigation by the district attorney’s office and the commencement of a criminal prosecution.”
Gigliotti is deeply missed by those who knew and loved him, Rooney said.
“He was my everything,” Rooney said. “He was the love of my life, my fiancé. ... It’s heartbreaking.”
Tucker previously released 28 minutes of video of the incident, compiled from the city’s closed-circuit cameras and footage submitted by the public.
Video shows Gigliotti, 43, wandering around a city street, sometimes walking in circles in a parking lot, running into the street and narrowly missing being hit by a pickup truck, crossing a busy street at a main intersection in front of moving traffic, and then immediately changing direction and heading across the street again.
After a 911 call is made to police, one officer arrives and starts talking with Gigliotti before he starts walking away. A second and then third officer arrive, and the man runs to the entrance of the Bradford Seafood restaurant, followed by police.
In a video taken by a restaurant patron, Gigliotti is shown opening the restaurant door with a police officer pulling on his clothes in an effort to drag him away from the door.
Bystanders outside the restaurant record as more officers — ultimately seven — arrive and wrestle Gigliotti to the ground. Lying face down and with the officers on his back, Gigliotti can be heard repeatedly shouting, “Help! Help! Help! Help!”
Mayor Melinda E. Barrett urged the public to withhold judgment as the investigation continues.
“It is important to clarify that, in this context, homicide is a medical classification and does not, in itself, determine whether any actions were lawful or unlawful,“ Barrett said in a statement. ”The District Attorney’s Office continues to conduct an independent investigation into whether the officers’ actions were legally justified.”
Barrett said the officers involved remain on paid administrative leave during the investigation, in keeping with protocol.
“I have pledged transparency throughout this process, and that commitment has not changed,” Barrett said. “My office will share additional information with the public as soon as it is appropriate and legally permissible to do so.”
In a statement Friday, the union representing Haverhill police said it supports the officers involved in the incident and that they acted in “good faith” and according to their state training.
“Nobody wants to see a life lost. This includes the officers dispatched to respond to the 911 call, who were doing their best to carry out their responsibilities under difficult circumstances to get Mr. Gigliotti to emergency medical aid and protect the members of the public in the immediate area,” the Haverhill Police Patrolman’s Association said in a press release after the autopsy results were released.
Rooney said that her fiancé was well-liked and his death has been a painful loss.
“He was very loving, and he had a lot of friends,” Rooney said. “He was a hard worker, and he was just an all-around good guy. A lot of people took it very hard.”
Even people who didn’t know Gigliotti but saw the video footage of his encounter with police “were so sickened by it,” Rooney said, because “they knew what the cops did was wrong.”
Rooney said she’ll continue seeking justice for the man she loved.
“Francis wouldn’t want it any other way,” Rooney said. “We’re going to keep pushing and keep pushing. This isn’t the end. This is only the beginning.”
Emily Spatz contributed to this report.
John R. Ellement can be reached at john.ellement@globe.com. Follow him @JREbosglobe. Travis Andersen can be reached at travis.andersen@globe.com. Emily Spatz can be reached at emily.spatz@globe.com. Follow her on X @emilymspatz.