PHILADELPHIA — A Philadelphia police officer who shot and killed a driver who was sitting in his car turned himself in Friday morning to face criminal charges.
Officer Mark Dial surrendered on a criminal warrant, according to his attorney, Fortunato N. Perri Jr., who said he has not yet been made aware of the specific charges against the officer.
“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,” Perri said in an email to The Associated Press.
The district attorney’s office said it planned to release police bodycam footage of the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Eddie Irizarry later Friday and “announce developments in the investigation.”
Authorities have said Dial shot Irizarry as he sat in his car after officers spotted the car driving erratically around noon Aug. 14 and followed it for several blocks. Then, officers approached as the driver turned the wrong way down a one-way street and stopped.
The department backtracked after initially claiming the officers made a traffic stop and shot a person outside the vehicle after he “lunged at” police with a knife. Outgoing Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said a review of the officers’ body-worn cameras “made it very clear that what we initially reported was not actually what happened.”
Dial, who has been on the force for five years, was suspended with intent to dismiss after officials said he refused to cooperate in the investigation of the killing.
