PHILADELPHIA, PA- Mark Dial, a Philadelphia police officer, turned himself in to authorities on Friday. He is facing charges of murder for the fatal shooting of Eddie Irizarry Jr. last month. The charges against Dial, announced by Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, also include voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, simple assault, reckless endangerment of another person, and official oppression.
The incident, which took place on August 14, was initially reported by the police as a confrontation outside the car, with Irizarry allegedly lunging at the officers with a knife. However, two days later, the department admitted that Irizarry was shot while inside his vehicle. Security footage released by Irizarry’s family showed Dial shooting Irizarry seconds after exiting his police cruiser.
The District Attorney’s office presented unedited body camera footage from Dial and another officer present at the scene during a press conference. Krasner noted that the videos were shown in full at the request of Irizarry’s family and their legal counsel. He warned that the footage could be distressing to some viewers.
The video shows Dial exiting his cruiser, approaching Irizarry’s car with his gun drawn, and threatening to shoot before firing into the driver’s seat where Irizarry was seated. An officer can be heard instructing Irizarry to show his hands before the shots were fired. Krasner stated that Dial fired six shots at close range, but could not confirm how many times Irizarry was hit, pending the final autopsy report.
The footage also shows Dial and the second officer, whose name has not been released, pulling a bloodied Irizarry from the car and carrying him to their cruiser. The second officer can be heard radioing that they were taking a man to the hospital. No charges have been filed against the second officer involved in the incident.
Bail for Dial has not been set, and a preliminary hearing is expected to take place on Friday. Dial’s attorney, Brian McMonagle, expressed his disapproval of the charges, stating that Irizarry had made an illegal turn, sped away, and tried to evade the officers before producing a weapon.
Dial has been suspended for 30 days, and the city’s police commissioner has expressed intentions to terminate his employment at the end of the suspension period. The Fraternal Order of Police, the union representing Philadelphia police officers, has expressed its support for Dial.