All charges reinstated against ex-Philadelphia police officer Mark Dial in Eddie Irizarry shooting
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- All charges against former Philadelphia police officer Mark Dial have been reinstated, a judge ruled Wednesday.
Dial was back in court about one month after a judge dismissed all charges against him in the shooting death of Eddie Irizarry in Kensington.
Common Pleas Court Judge Lillian Ransom's courtroom in the Criminal Justice Center was packed before the hearing.
Protesters from the Party for Socialism and Liberation shouted Eddie Irizarry's name outside the CJC, demanding justice for the man they say was murdered by Dial.
The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office argued to reinstate the charges of first-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and official oppression.
Ransom ruled in the prosecutors' favor, and Dial was taken back into custody. As with all first-degree murder defendants in the commonwealth, he is being held without bail.
Body camera and surveillance footage showed Dial opening fire on Irizarry as he sat in his car on Willard Street in Kensington on Aug. 14.
Officials said Dial and his partner had been following Irizarry, who was driving erratically, and then got out of their police cruiser when Irizarry went the wrong way down Willard, a one-way street.
The footage shows Dial firing at least six times seconds after coming up to Irizarry's car. An attorney for Dial claims Dial thought Irizarry had a gun. It was actually a knife in the car.
Municipal Court Judge Wendy L. Pew threw out the case at a preliminary hearing last month, citing a "lack of evidence."
Irizarry's relatives were outraged over the judge's decision to drop the case and Dial was fired for insubordination.
Police changed their account of the shooting a day after reviewing body camera footage. Police initially said Irizarry was outside of his car and "lunged" at officers, but the footage showed Irizarry remained inside the vehicle with the windows rolled up during the shooting.
The hearing was initially set for 9 a.m. Wednesday but was pushed back.
- In:
- Philadelphia Police
- Eddie Irizarry
- Crime
- Philadelphia
Jasmine Payoute joined CBS3 Eyewitness News as a reporter in June 2021.
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