Trial begins for former Philadelphia police officer Mark Dial in fatal shooting of Eddie Irizarry
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The jury trial for former Philadelphia police officer Mark Dial began on Monday.
Dial is facing third-degree murder in the death of Eddie Irizarry in August 2023.
Opening statements wrapped up Monday, and the first witness already took the stand. The jury includes 11 women and three men.
Dial was initially charged with first-degree murder, but the district attorney withdrew that charge in August.
Dial has been out on $200,000 bail ever since.
Dial shot Irizarry multiple times through the driver's side window during a traffic stop, which was captured on his body camera footage.
The video is a key piece of evidence in the case. The defense showed screenshots of it during opening statements.
Police said Irizarry was driving erratically, the wrong way down the street, as he was being followed by police. It's something both sides agree on. Just six seconds after Officer Dial got out of the police car, he fired six shots into Irizarry's car, killing him.
The prosecution says Dial jumped out with his gun already drawn and wantonly killed Irizarry. They say he was not a threat to the officer.
The defense painted a chaotic picture, saying Officer Dial's partner, Mike Morris, yelled gun, and said Dial saw Irizarry holding a metallic object. The defense also says that Dial fired while retreating because he thought Irizarry had a gun.
