Fatal Philadelphia shooting death of Eddie Irizarry – Obituary
A former Philadelphia police officer, Mark Dial, found himself facing murder and other serious charges as District Attorney Larry Krasner made the announcement on Friday.
This announcement followed the release of body camera footage from an encounter that occurred on August 14th, where Eddie Irizarry tragically lost his life.
Mark Dial, a former officer with five years of service, turned himself in on Friday morning. It remains uncertain whether he has legal representation to speak on his behalf.
The Philadelphia Police Department terminated Dial’s employment after security footage, presented by an attorney representing Irizarry’s family, exposed his actions of repeatedly firing into the victim’s vehicle.
District Attorney Krasner, prior to revealing the charges, unveiled additional police body camera footage. He acknowledged the distressing nature of the videos, stating, “There is always some level of trauma, especially for family members associated with watching something that is extremely violent.”
Pausing briefly to collect his thoughts, he continued, “I hope anyone who is considering looking at these videos in the public, I hope that any adult will think twice… and frankly, I hope any adult will think twice about watching these videos because in some ways and for some people, they will be traumatic.”
Mayor Jim Kenney echoed Krasner’s sentiments, describing the footage as “graphic” and extending his condolences to the Irizarry family.
He added, “I recognize that no action that we take as a City can bring him back, but I am confident that the District Attorney’s Office is working toward justice for Mr. Irizarry and his family.”
The tragic incident unfolded when Eddie Jose Irizarry, who had relocated from Puerto Rico at the age of 19 and spoke limited English, was driving erratically. He was pulled over by the police after mistakenly traveling the wrong way down a single-lane street, as disclosed by Shaka Johnson, an attorney representing Irizarry’s family.