Officer in Fatal Shooting of Eddie Irizarry Turns Himself In
A Philadelphia police officer has turned himself in on a criminal warrant related to the fatal shooting of Eddie Irizarry in August. However, it is unclear at this time what specific charges Officer Mark Dial is facing, according to his attorney.
“We haven’t yet been advised of the specific charges,” said Dial’s attorney in a statement. “We intend to vigorously defend him against the charges. Despite what has been portrayed to the media, the facts will unmistakably show that Officer Mark Dial was legally justified in discharging his weapon while fearing for his life.”
The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office has announced that it will release unedited police body camera footage of the shooting during a news conference, along with updates on the investigation.
Dial had been placed on restricted leave following the shooting on August 14 during a traffic stop. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw had previously stated that she intended to fire Dial at the end of a 30-day suspension period.
The shooting has faced increased scrutiny since Commissioner Outlaw revealed that the initial police narrative was incorrect. Initially, a police corporal stated that officers had given commands for Irizarry to drop a weapon while he was outside of his vehicle. The corporal claimed that Irizarry “lunged at the officers; one of the officers discharged his weapon multiple times.” However, it was later revealed that Irizarry was inside the vehicle when he was shot.
“The body-worn camera footage made it very clear what we initially reported was not actually what happened,” Commissioner Outlaw said during a previous news conference.
This is a developing story and more updates are expected in the near future.