Mass. police chief on leave as community navigates recent deaths
The chief of police in a Massachusetts city has been placed on leave after a pair of recent deaths rocked the community.
In a statement shared with Boston 25 News, Haverhill Mayor Melinda Barrett confirmed that Haverhill Police Chief Robert Pistone is on leave.
“Police Chief Robert Pistone is currently on a leave of absence effective Wednesday, October 8, 2025,” Barrett said.
Haverhill Police Chief Robert Pistone
Deputy Chief Stephen Doherty will serve as the city’s active police chief until Pistone returns to duty, according to Barrett.
The announcement comes just days after police union groups in Haverhill and Lawrence shared a letter from the families of Haverhill police officers addressed to Pistone, questioning his handling of the deaths.
“Haverhill Police deserve better from their Chief!” the letter states. “You hold the title of ‘Chief’ only because politics handed you the title. Titles can be given. Respect must be earned. And you have not earned it.”
While the reason behind Pistone‘s leave of absence is unclear, it does come in the wake of an officer’s passing and the death of a man during an encounter with police.
Just last week, Haverhill Police Officer Katelyn Tully was laid to rest after her sudden death in late September.
“She served our community with grace, compassion, kindness, and professionalism, and will be deeply missed,” Pistone said after Tully’s death.
There has been no word on what led to Tully’s passing, with police describing the situation as an “unattended death.”
In July, 43-year-old Francis Gigliotti was pronounced dead after an encounter with Haverhill officers outside of the Bradford Seafood restaurant.
The incident was captured on cellphone video, with the Essex District Attorney’s Office announcing a full investigation into the incident.
Officers responding to the scene claimed Gigliotti was acting belligerently, and they tried restraining him for “safety purposes.” The video shows multiple first responders surrounding Gigliotti.
During that interaction, he became unresponsive, and CPR was performed. Gigliotti was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
After the deadly encounter with Gigliotti, Pistone placed seven officers on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation. The names of the officers involved have not been made public.
In early September, the Office of the Medical Examiner listed Gigliotti’s cause of death as “cardiac dysrhythmia in a person with acute intoxication due to the combined effects of cocaine and ethanol while being restrained prone by police.”
Barrett made no mention of the deaths of Tully and Gigliotti in her statement announcing Pistone‘s leave of absence.
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