Eddie Irizarry’s car windows were rolled up when a Philadelphia police officer shot him, sources say

Eddie Irizarry’s car windows were rolled up when a Philadelphia police officer shot and killed him Monday as he sat in his car, according to two law enforcement sources and photos of the vehicle at the scene.

The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation, said body camera footage of the shooting appears to show that the windows to Irizarry’s Toyota Corolla were rolled up as the officer — identified Thursday as Mark Dial — approached the car with his partner Monday afternoon.

Irizarry was sitting in the driver’s seat as Dial’s partner — whom police have not identified— approached the passenger side of the car and attempted to open the door. The officer then yelled that Irizarry “had a weapon,” police said.

That’s when Dial shot Irizarry multiple times, police said, firing at least one shot through the front windshield and then several others through the driver’s-side window. Two knives were later “observed” in the car, police said.

Irizarry, 27, was shot six times, according to his family. He was rushed to Temple University Hospital by police but died a short time later.

Photos captured at the scene show the window of the driver’s-side door shattered, and a bullet hole through the windshield. The front passenger window appeared to be open just a crack.

» READ MORE: Man killed by Philadelphia police never got out of his car, didn’t ‘lunge’ with a knife, police say in new narrative

The new details add to mounting questions about the moments leading up to Irizarry’s death and have led his family to question how officers could have believed he posed a threat that warranted deadly force.

“They murdered my nephew ... cold blood,” said Irizarry’s aunt Zoraida Garcia. ”And I want answers.”

Efforts to reach Dial were unsuccessful Thursday. Questions to the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 were directed to their lawyers, who could not be reached for comment.

The Police Department and District Attorney’s Office declined to comment, citing ongoing departmental and criminal investigations.

The episode began shortly before 12:30 p.m. Monday, when Dial, a five-year veteran of the force, and his partner were patrolling the 24th Police District, which makes up parts of Kensington, Fairhill, and North Philadelphia. Police said the officers observed Irizarry “driving erratically” near B and Westmoreland Streets.

The officers asked over police radio whether there were any priority calls for a Toyota sedan, then followed Irizarry as he headed south, police said. Irizarry then pulled the wrong way onto the 100 block of East Willard Street and parked his car, police said.

The officers followed, and stopped their car in the middle of the street. Dial walked toward the driver’s side of the car, police said, while his partner attempted to open the passenger door. The partner then yelled that Irizarry “had a weapon,” police said, and Dial opened fire.

Detective Peter Marrero, who is heading the internal investigation into the shooting, said two knives were found inside Irizarry’s car: a “kitchen-style knife” and a “serrated folding knife.”

Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw declined to say whether Irizarry was holding a knife when he was shot. She also declined to say whether Dial gave any warning before firing and wouldn’t specify the length of the interaction, or how many times Irizarry was shot.

According to an internal police email, Irizarry was shot in the face, chest, shoulder, and back.

Deputy Commissioner Christine Coulter said it was unclear whether the officers, who were in uniform in a patrol car, turned on their emergency lights or sirens before getting out of their cruiser to confront Irizarry. She said that by the time backup arrived a few minutes later, the lights were not on.

Police first said Irizarry, after fleeing a traffic stop, emerged from his car with a knife in his hand and “lunged” at police before Dial shot him multiple times.

After watching body camera footage of the episode, they said that account was wrong: Irizarry did not flee a traffic stop, never lunged at officers with a weapon, and was sitting in his car when he was shot.

On Wednesday, Outlaw acknowledged the concerns from Irizarry’s family and the community after police changed their initial story of how events unfolded.

“I understand and want to acknowledge the hurt and confusion that family and community members can experience when details of investigations change, and especially when they change in a very public way,” she said at a news conference.

She pledged a thorough investigation of the case and said officials would be transparent about what they learned, even as they could not immediately share some details while internal and criminal inquiries were underway.

» READ MORE: Eddie Irizarry’s family say they knew from the start that police lied. Now, they want accountability.

Irizarry’s family has said they doubted the police narrative from the start.

“Something didn’t square with me from the beginning,” said Irizarry’s father and namesake, Eddie Irizarry.

He and his relatives questioned why Irizarry, whom they affectionately called “Junito,” would have tried to attack police. They said he had experienced mental health troubles, and was being treated for schizophrenia, but described him as quiet and withdrawn and said he was largely focused on his work as a mechanic.

“My nephew was no harm to anyone,” Garcia said. “Never been incarcerated. Don’t even have a traffic stop ticket in his record.”

Irizarry, who moved to Philadelphia from Puerto Rico about seven years ago, did not speak or understand English, Garcia said. She wondered whether a language barrier might have created confusion in the moments before he was shot.

“If the officer was saying anything to him in English, I’m quite sure that he didn’t even understood what was going on,” she said.

The changing narrative and fresh detail that Irizarry’s car window was closed added to the family’s concern about what happened to him. They have hired a lawyer to investigate and have vowed to seek justice.

Staff writer Ryan Briggs contributed to this article.