The death of Francis Gigliotti, a man who died this summer after a struggle with police in Haverhill, Massachusetts, has been ruled a homicide by the medical examiner.

Gigliotti, 43, died on Friday, July 11, after he was "behaving erratically" and wandering in the street, according to Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker. Video released by prosecutors in July shows Gigliotti speaking with two officers before running away and trying to enter a restaurant on Winter Street. He is eventually taken to the ground by police officers and can be heard calling for help. He later became unresponsive and was taken to a hospital where he died, according to the district attorney. 

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner completed Gigliotti's autopsy and sent it to the D.A.'s office on Friday. They revealed in a statement that his cause of death 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 medical examiner also determined that his manner of death was homicide. The D.A.'s office said that Gigliotti's family has been told about the results. 

"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," Haverhill Mayor Melinda Barrett said in a statement.

Gigliotti death investigation ongoing 

The seven police officers who were involved in the struggle with Gigliotti were placed on administrative leave while the investigation is ongoing, according to Mayor Barrett. 

"I am eager to hear the outcome of this investigation and see how the department and the City can learn and grow from this in the name of truth, justice, and public safety. At this time, I continue to urge patience as the investigation continues and all of the facts are disclosed," Barrett said in July.

The district attorney's office is still investigating the incident. They said they will be reviewing the medical examiner's report alongside other information in the case to determine, "whether the actions of the police officers were reasonable and justified under the circumstances."

The union for the police officers, the Haverhill Police Patrolman's Association, released a statement saying that "the officers involved acted in good faith and used their state-approved training to correctly maintain control of non-vital areas while they were taking him into protective custody so he could receive medical treatment."

"The result was an unforeseen and heartbreaking turn of events," the union said.

Tucker said that the 28 minutes of edited video is just one part of the nearly 90 minutes they gathered from surveillance video and people's phones. He said all of that video will be released at a later date.

Family wants charges filed

Gigliotti's family called for answers in the days following his death. They said that he had been struggling with mental health issues, had recently lost both his mother and brother, and had been hit by a bus. Gigliotti's fiancée, Michele Rooney, said that she wished the officers had, "approached him a little bit more easily and tried to calm him down."

On Friday, Rooney said she was not surprised to learn the medical examiner's determination. "It was very bittersweet," she said. "It was something I've been waiting to hear all along." 

The family now wants to see charges filed against the police. "The next step should be being charged with at least manslaughter," said Shawn Rooney, Michele's brother. 

"It doesn't bring him back, but he's looking down and I know he's saying keep fighting girl, keep fighting and I will. We will," Michele Rooney said.

His family said that he was a wonderful man who was loved by many. "He was just getting his life back together after all the hardship he's went through," his niece Albany Gigliotti said.