Officer Surrenders on Warrant for Fatal Eddie Irizarry Shooting

On Sep 8, 2023

TL/DR –

A Philadelphia police officer has turned himself in after a warrant was issued for his arrest over the fatal shooting of Eddie Irizarry in August. It is unclear what charges he is facing, and his lawyers intend to “vigorously defend him against the charges.” The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office intends to release unedited police body camera footage of the incident, which has faced increased scrutiny due to discrepancies in initial police reports and the fact that Irizarry was actually inside his vehicle when he was shot.

CNN —

Philadelphia police officer Mark Dial has surrendered on a criminal warrant linked to the August fatal shooting of Eddie Irizarry, but his charges remain unclear, according to his attorney.

“The specific charges are yet undisclosed,” Dial’s attorney stated, vowing to defend him aggressively. The attorney insists that Dial’s actions were legally justified in the face of a threat to his life.

The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office plans to release unedited police body camera footage of the shooting incident and reveal their investigation outcomes at an upcoming news conference.

Following the August 14 shooting, Dial was put on restricted leave, with Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw expressing intent to terminate his employment post a 30-day suspension period.

After the shooting, the initial police narrative was found to be incorrect, sparking more scrutiny of the shooting.

Police initially claimed that Irizarry was ordered to drop his weapon outside his vehicle and lunged at the officers before being shot. However, it later emerged that Irizarry was inside his car during the shooting.

“The body cam footage clearly contradicted our initial report,” Outlaw admitted in a press conference last month.

The incident unfolded when two officers saw Irizarry driving erratically and going the wrong way down a one-way street. After pulling into a parking spot, Irizarry was approached by two officers. One officer allegedly shot into the car multiple times after warning of a weapon.

A surveillance video provided a bird’s-eye view of the encounter. The video shows Irizarry pulling into a parking spot on a narrow residential street, with a police vehicle arriving shortly after.

An officer is seen pulling out a firearm and moving toward Irizarry’s car, shouting commands at him. Five seconds later, the officer fires his gun six times, with at least one bullet hitting Irizarry’s windshield.

As the officer approaches Irizarry, he is seen pulling up the driver’s side window before the officer fires into the vehicle. The officer recoils and runs back to his patrol car as he shoots. The officers then open Irizarry’s car, remove him, and place him into the patrol car.

Two knives were found inside the car, though it remains unconfirmed if Irizarry was holding them or if a warning was given before the officer opened fire.