A Philadelphia police officer turned himself in Friday morning to face manslaughter charges for fatally shooting a man sitting in his car — after police-worn body camera footage contradicted his claims that the young man was “lunging” at him with a knife.
Mark Dial, 27, is also charged with involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment and official oppression for the Aug. 14 shooting of Eddie Irizarry Jr., 27, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said at a press conference Friday morning when he released the letter . horrible body camera footage.
It shows Dial – a five-year veteran of the team – approaching Irizarry, who was sitting in his gold Toyota Camry with the windows rolled down, and firing six shots through the window.
His attorney claimed he thought Dial had a gun, but prosecutors said Irizarry had no chance to react to the police officer — who fired his weapon within five seconds of arriving on the scene.
“These videos speak for themselves,” Krasner said at the press conference.
The 22-minute recording shows Dial yelling at Irizarry, who remained in his vehicle in North Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood.
“Show me your hands, I’ll shoot you,” he can be heard yelling at Irizarry, before he fired six shots through the window at point-blank range.
Philadelphia Police Officer Mark Dial, 27, turned himself in Friday to face charges of murder.AP
Dial fatally shot Eddie Irizarry Jr., 27, on August 14, while the victim was sitting in his car.AP
He then radioed to his fellow officer, “Shots fired,” and opened the driver’s door.
Inside, Irizarry can be seen lying bleeding and motionless in his seat, moaning softly as Dial shouts, “Raise your hands now.”
It also shows Dial and his unidentified partner pulling Irizarry out of the car and putting him in their patrol car to take him to a nearby hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
The footage contradicted the Philadelphia Police Department’s original statement, which claimed officers gave Irizarry “multiple commands” to drop the knife, but he “lashed out at them.”
Officials retracted that statement about 30 hours later, after reviewing body camera footage.
Shaka Johnson, an attorney for Irizarry’s family, said last week that the recording did show Dial telling Irizarry to “drop the knife.”
He explained that Irizarry was holding a pocket knife at his feet, but did not appear to threaten Dial or his partner from the 24th Precinct with it.
Senior citizen Eddie Irizarry, the victim’s father, said he was relieved that the body camera footage was released.
Bodycam video shows Philadelphia Police Officer Mark Dial with his weapon drawn pointing at Eddie Irizarry on August 14, 2023.AP
Surveillance footage from the scene shows Dial shooting into the window at point-blank range. Philadelphia DA’s office
The family had seen the footage in person last week, and asked the district attorney to release it in its entirety.
Irizarry told the Philadelphia Inquirer he believed the footage dispelled any notion that his son had done anything wrong, and showed how quickly Dial shot him.
He also said he hoped Dial would face a “severe” sentence, while Zoraida Garcia, the victim’s aunt, said she was relieved Dial had been charged with the shooting.
“I know that’s not bringing[ing] my nephew is back, but at least he paid for the crime he committed,” he told the Inquirer.
“He has to face murder charges because that’s what he did, he killed my nephew.”
Dial’s lawyers claimed there was more to the story, and criticized the decision to charge him with murder.
“The decision to charge Officer Mark Dial with murder is appalling,” Brian McMonagle said at a separate news conference Friday morning.
Dail’s attorneys, Brian McMonagle and Fortunato Perri, responded to the charges. They say Dial believes Irizarry had a gun when he opened fire, and say body camera footage — which will be released to the public today — will explain that. pic.twitter.com/lrSMiwBa8t
— Ellie Rushing (@EllieRushing) September 8, 2023
He said Dial and his partner first encountered Irizarry shortly before 12:30 a.m. in the Kensington neighborhood of North Philadelphia and followed him for several blocks.
But, McMonagle said, Irizarry tried to avoid the officer by making an illegal turn onto a one-way street.
“When the police officer ordered him to show his hands, he instead pulled out a weapon and pointed it at an armed police officer,” the lawyer alleged.
“The video evidence in this case, which we’ve found, fully shows that Officer Dial got out of his car, ordered him to show his hands and then heard ‘Guns!’ You can hear it in the video,” continued McMonagle.
“He then saw an individual point what he thought was a gun directly at his face. Fearing he would be the next police officer killed on the streets of Philadelphia, he opened fire.”
McMonagle explained that it was difficult to see inside the car, and that Dial was only reacting based on what he heard.
“What each saw when he looked into the car was glare and what appeared to be a weapon,” he said. “They thought it was a weapon. They thought it was a gun!”
McMonagle continued to slam the charges against his client, saying: “This decision today puts police officers in harm’s way at a time when they are facing the most violent time in our city’s history.
“We need to right this wrong and bring this young man home.”
The Fraternal Order of Police has also suggested it will continue to stand by Dial, telling ABC News last month: “Dial officials have the full support of the Fraternal Order of Police and we continue to review the facts and circumstances surrounding this tragic incident.”
Dial’s attorney claimed he believed Irizarry had a gun on him when he fired six shots through the window.AP
Lawyers argued it was difficult to see inside the vehicle, and Dial was only answering based on what he heard.AP
Dial was suspended for 30 days after the shooting, and then-Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said she intended to fire him at the end of the suspension.
Criminal, who has since resigned, said on Aug. 23 that an administrative investigation found Dial violated department rules against “insubordination” by allegedly refusing to obey “proper orders from superior officers.”
The investigation also accused Dial of “improper conduct” toward officers for “failing to cooperate in any departmental investigation.”
Dial is being held without bail.
The case marks the fourth time Krasner has prosecuted an officer in an on-duty shooting since he took office in 2018, the Inquirer reported.
Before that, it reported, prosecutors had not charged a city police officer in an on-duty shooting in nearly two decades.
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