The Philadelphia District Attorneys Office has reinstated charges against former police officer Mark Dial, who stands accused of the fatal shooting of Eddie Irizarry during a traffic stop last month.
The reinstatement of charges, which include murder, voluntary manslaughter, and aggravated assault, occurred mere hours after a judge dismissed the case. CBS News reports that Dial's subsequent court appearance is slated for October 25, presided over by Judge Lillian Ransom.
In the initial hearing on Tuesday, Judge Wendy Pew ruled that the evidence presented was insufficient to convict Dial of Irizarry's murder, following her review of the incident's footage from August 14. Dial's defense team, as reported by Fox News, contended that their client had acted in self-defense.
Dial's attorney, Brian McMonagle, argued that his client was in fear for his life when he fired his weapon. "He is firing while trying to take cover," McMonagle stated, asserting that the charges should never have been filed. "Every tragedy is not a crime." Judge Pew responded, "I agree with you 100 percent."
Bodycam footage shows Dial exiting his police vehicle and approaching a stopped car. A voice is heard threatening the driver, "I will f*cking shoot you." Subsequently, at least six shots were fired into the side of the car. Irizarry was then extracted from the vehicle by police and rushed to the hospital.
The incident reportedly transpired after officers noticed a car driving erratically around noon on August 14. The officers pursued the vehicle for several blocks. Initially, the department alleged that the officers conducted a traffic stop and shot a man outside the vehicle after he "lunged at" them with a knife. However, this claim was later retracted, with bodycam footage revealing the driver holding a knife by his leg.
Following the dismissal of charges, Dial was released from custody, as reported by the New York Post. Karima Yelverton, a representative of the district attorneys office, expressed disagreement with the judge's decision to dismiss all charges. "We will file an appeal of this decision before the end of the day today," she stated.
In the wake of the charges' dismissal, Philadelphia experienced a looting spree, resulting in over 50 arrests connected to the prolonged incident by Wednesday afternoon. Police are also investigating a separate incident in Northeast Philadelphia on Tuesday night, where seven vehicles were stolen from a car lot, with at least one vehicle since recovered.
Center City businesses, including Lululemon, the Apple Store, and Footlocker, suffered damage in what police have termed a "coordinated attack." Approximately 100 individuals, many of them juveniles, reportedly congregated in Center City.
Login