PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Mark Dial, the former Philadelphia police officer who shot and killed 27-year-old Eddie Irizarry during a 2023 traffic stop in Fairhill, has been found not guilty of third-degree murder — the most serious charge he faced — but guilty of voluntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment, and possessing an instrument of crime.
Dial was also found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
The jury began deliberating the case on Wednesday and deliberated through most of the day Thursday before announcing its verdict.
On Aug. 14, 2023, Irizarry was pursued by police for driving erratically. When Dial and his partner pulled him over on East Willard Street in Kensington, Irizarry was sitting in his car with a knife. As later-released security camera, bodycam and dashcam footage showed, Dial fired his service weapon within seconds of approaching Irizarry in his car.
Several protests throughout the city followed Irizarry's death and included calls for Dial to be held accountable.
The case took several twists and turns in the last two years. A month after the shooting, a judge tossed charges against Dial, only for them to be reinstated shortly thereafter. The courts also denied a defense motion to change the venue of the trial. And, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office was forced to drop the first-degree murder charge against Dial after a judge said prosecutors failed to give proper notice of an expert to the defense.
Dial's defense attorney, Brian McMonagle, said while they hoped to get all of the former officer's charges thrown out, they were still elated the murder charge was dropped.
"This has been such a long journey for him," said McMonagle. "From being charged with first-degree murder and those charges being dismissed, and then the charges being reinstated in the first degree, and then today being acquitted of murder in the third degree. Important for him, but obviously we came here for the whole thing."
Throughout the trial and after, Dial's attorneys maintained the former officer "made a mistake."
Zoraida Garcia, Irizarry's aunt, said there was "a little comfort" in the jury's decision to convict Dial of voluntary manslaughter.
"It's not going to bring Eddie back, but at least now everyone in Philadelphia can see that there's still some type of justice," she said.
Garcia also said it was "really frustrating" sitting in the courtroom on Thursday, but she believed the jury did "what was right."
Dial is expected to sentenced in July.