The police chief of a Massachusetts town has been placed on leave after a pair of recent deaths shook 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 leave as of Wednesday, October 8, 2025,” Barrett said.
Haverhill Police Chief Robert Pistone
According to Barrett, Deputy Chief Stephen Doherty will serve as the city’s active police chief until Pistone returns to duty.
The announcement comes just days after police union groups in Haverhill and Lawrence shared a letter from outraged families of Haverhill police officers addressed to Pistone, questioning his handling of the deaths.
“Haverhill Police Deserve Better From Their Chief!” says the letter. “You have the title of ‘Chief’ only because politics gave it to you. Titles can be given. Respect must be earned. And you have not earned it.”
The families also suggested in the letter that Pistone lacks experience, humility and courage.
While the reason for Pistone’s leave is unclear, it comes in the wake of the death of an officer and the death of a man during an encounter with police.
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 she will be deeply missed,” Pistone said after Tully’s death.
It is not known what caused Tully’s death, and police described the situation as a “neglected death.”
In July, Francis Gigliotti, 43, was pronounced dead after an encounter with Haverhill officers outside the Bradford Seafood restaurant.
The incident was captured on cell phone video and the Essex District Attorney’s Office announced a full investigation into the incident.
The officers who responded to the scene stated that Gigliotti was acting belligerently and attempted to restrain him for “security reasons.” The video shows several 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 Medical Examiner’s Office listed Gigliotti’s cause of death as “cardiac arrhythmia in a person acutely intoxicated due to the combined effects of cocaine and ethanol while restrained face down by police.”
Barrett made no mention of the deaths of Tully and Gigliotti in his statement announcing Pistone’s leave.
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