Ex Philly Cop Gets Immediate Parole In Deadly Shooting Of Man In Car

PHILADELPHIA — A sentence was handed down to a former Philadelphia Police officer who shot and killed a man in 2023, but he was immediately paroled.

Former officer Mark Dial, 29, was sentenced to 9-and-a-half months to two years in prison for the Aug. 14, 2023 killing of Eddie Irizarry.

However, due to Dial having already served 10 months, he was granted immediate parole.

Dial was convicted by a jury on May 22 of voluntary manslaughter, possession of an instrument of crime, and related offenses.

The shooting occurred at about 12:28 p.m. on the 100 block of East Willard Street.

Video from the scene showed Irizarry sitting in the front seat of a vehicle when Dial opened fire on him.

That footage clearly refutes the initial account police gave of the shooting, which was that Irizarry, who emigrated from Puerto Rico eight years ago and has lived in Philadelphia since, was outside the vehicle and lunged at officers while armed with a knife when he was shot.

Police later recanted that story, saying Irizarry was seated in a Toyota Corolla when he was fatally shot.

According to police, the incident began when officers tried to stop a Toyota Corolla on B Street near Westmoreland after seeing the vehicle drive erratically.

The vehicle turned on Westmoreland, then left onto Lee Street, and finally left onto Willard Street heading against traffic, police said.

Eventually, the vehicle pulled into a parking spot in the middle of the block.

The two officers who were in a marked patrol vehicle got out and approached the Corolla.

Video showed the officers get out of the SUV, both with guns drawn.

Dial went up to the driver's side, and the other to the passenger's side, with one officer trying to open the passenger door, police said.

That officer told Dial that the driver, later identified as Irizarry, had a weapon, police said.One is heard shouting "show me your hands" and "He's got a f***ing knife" in the new video.Also heard on the video were "don't move" and "I'll f***ing shoot you" as Dial is seen running up to the driver's side window.

Irizarry did not speak English.

Irizarry, police said, turned toward Dial, and that's when Dial shot six times into the vehicle through the rolled up driver's side window and windshield, fatally striking Irizarry.

The video shows the officers shot Irizarry within 10 seconds of getting out of their patrol vehicle.

Dial and the other officer are seen in the video pulling Irizarry from the vehicle and putting him into their vehicle before driving off.

Irizarry was taken to Temple Hospital, where he was pronounced at 12:48 p.m.

Police said they found two knives in the Corolla.

Both officers had their body cameras on during the incident.