Officer who fatally shot Eddie Irizarry identified as Mark Dial

The Philadelphia Police officer who shot and killed 27-year-old Eddie Irizarry in North Philadelphia earlier this week has been identified as Mark Dial, a five-year veteran of the force, according to three law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation.

Dial and his partner, whom officials have not identified, were patrolling the 24th Police District around 12:30 p.m. Monday when police said they encountered Irizarry “driving erratically” near B and Westmoreland Streets in North Philadelphia.

In their marked police cruiser, they followed Irizarry’s gold Toyota Corolla south for a few blocks, police said, until he pulled the wrong way onto the 100 block of East Willard Street and parked his car.

» 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 officers then parked and got out. Dial’s partner, who police say was driving the cruiser, approached the passenger side of the car and attempted to open the front passenger door. Dial was approaching Irizarry from the front driver’s side, police said.

Police say Dial’s partner then yelled that Irizarry “had a weapon.” Dial then shot into the car multiple times, striking Irizarry several times as he remained seated in the front seat.

“Shots fired, shots fired,” an officer yelled over police radio. “Send cars, please! One hundred East Willard.”

“We’re scooping him now. I have the scene,” an officer said.

Dial and his partner then dragged Irizarry from the car and carried him to their cruiser, police said, and he was rushed to Temple University Hospital. He died shortly after arriving, at 12:48 p.m.

Police on Wednesday said they found two knives in Irizarry’s car afterward, a kitchen-style knife and a folded serrated blade. Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw declined to say whether Irizarry was holding a knife when he was shot, and would not say whether Dial ordered Irizarry to drop a weapon before he opened fire. She also declined to describe the length of time between when Dial emerged from the car, and when he opened fire.

Outlaw and the department have come under fire this week after the initial account of the shooting drastically changed. Police at first said Irizarry had gotten out of his car with a knife and “lunged” at the officers before Dial shot him. But they later said a review of the officer’s body worn camera footage showed that Irizarry was shot while still seated in his car and never lunged with a knife.

Dial, 27, previously served in the 19th District in West Philadelphia. He had been placed on restricted duty pending the outcome of an internal investigation.

The District Attorney’s Office is heading its own investigation. A spokesperson for the office declined to comment Thursday on the ongoing inquiry.

Effort to reach Dial were unsuccessful. A spokesperson for the Police Department declined to comment. John McNesby, president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, could not be reached.

Dial has not yet been interviewed, police said Wednesday. It is department protocol, officials said, that officers involved in shootings are given 72 hours to retain counsel before being interviewed.

Staff writer Barbara Laker contributed to this reporting.