Judge Dismisses All Charges Against Philadelphia Police Officer Who Fatally Shot Eddie Irizarry
On Tuesday, a Philadelphia judge dropped all charges, including murder, against the police officer accused of wrongfully killing Eddie Irizarry, last month. Mark Dial, who had pulled over the 27-year-old Irizarry on August 14, was shown in body camera footage shooting him through the rolled-up driver’s side window.
The court played the footage on Tuesday, leading to an emotional response from Irizarry’s family in the courtroom. However, Philadelphia Municipal Judge Wendy Pew ruled that there was insufficient evidence to proceed to trial.
The defense argued that Dial, 27, was seen moving away from the vehicle when he opened fire, believing that the motorist was armed. The footage showed that Irizarry had a knife in his right hand. Prior to Pew’s decision, Dial had faced charges of murder, voluntary manslaughter, official oppression, and four other counts, all of which were dismissed.
Prosecutors will appeal Judge Pew’s ruling and pursue charges against Dial once more.
