Philadelphia cop Mark Dial who shot Eddie Irizarry dead FIVE SECONDS after pulling him over for ‘driving erratically’ is fired after shocking video disputes claim he’d lunged at him with a knife
Philadelphia police officer Mark Dial, who last week shot and killed 27-year-old Eddie Irizarry, will be fired, officials confirmed Wednesday.
Irizarry was shot to death through his car window in North Philadelphia by Dial on Aug. 14, just five seconds after he stepped out of his patrol vehicle, newly released footage shows.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said Dial would be suspended for 30 days, with the intention of terminating his employment for insubordination.
The decision to fire Dial brought no comfort to the grieving family of the victim, Irizarry’s aunt told The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“Being fired is not enough for my family,” Zoraida Garcia told The Inquirer. “He must be in prison.”
Philadelphia police officer Mark Dial, who fatally shot 27-year-old Eddie Irizarry last week, will be fired, officials confirmed Wednesday
Irizarry was shot to death through his car window in North Philadelphia by Dial on Aug. 14, just five seconds after he stepped out of his patrol vehicle, newly released footage shows.
Police initially claimed that Irizarry was ‘driving erratically’ before getting out of his car with a knife and lunging at officers.
The footage, captured by a nearby surveillance camera, was released by Shaka Johnson, the lawyer representing Irizarry’s family, to refute that story.
Johnson explained that he and the victim’s family returned to the block where the shooting took place, looking for footage.
Johnson said the police story was “a deliberate deception of the public.”
In the surveillance video, taken almost opposite the crime scene, Dial can be heard yelling “I’ll shoot you” at Irizarry before opening fire at close range through the driver’s side window.
He is then seen shooting through the windshield again as he ran backwards and circled the car.
“Shots fired, shots fired,” one of the officers said over the police radio.
irisarian was shot six times and could be seen writhing in pain in the video.
The officers pulled Irizarry’s body from the driver’s seat and carried him by his arms and one of his legs to their police van.
Surveillance video, taken almost opposite the crime scene, shows Dial shouting, “I’ll shoot you,” to Irizarry before opening fire at point-blank range through the driver’s side window.
Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said Dial would be suspended for 30 days, with the intention of terminating his employment for insubordination
Irizarry was rushed to Temple University Hospital but died a short time later
Irizarry was shot six times and could be seen writhing in pain in the video
He was rushed to Temple University Hospital but died a short time later.
“What about what you just saw that could ever be confused as, ‘He got out of the car and fell on police officers’? That was an outright lie,” Johnson added.
He said he intended to file a wrongful death lawsuit against Dial and the city of Philadelphia on behalf of the family.
“In my opinion,” said Johnson, “this is a crime against humanity, to be perfectly honest.”
Fortunato Perri, an attorney representing the Fraternal Order of Police, said in a statement that Dial “has the full support of the Fraternal Order of Police as we continue to assess the facts and circumstances surrounding this tragic incident.”
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney called the death “a tragedy” on Wednesday.
“This is certainly a tragedy and my heart breaks for the family and for the loss of Mr. Irizarry,” Kenney told reporters.
Adding, “the investigation will bring up whatever it will bring up, and we’ll go from there.”