Jury hears new details in day 2 of trial of former Philly officer who fatally shot Eddie Irizarry

Closing arguments are expected Wednesday in the murder trial of former Philadelphia police officer Mark Dial charged in the killing of Eddie Irizarry in Kensington.

What we know:

Mark Dial sat next to his defense team on the third floor of the city’s Criminal Justice Center, his head down, sometimes wiping away tears in the second day of his murder trial.

Charged in the August 2023 shooting death of Eddie Irizarry, as he sat in his car in Kensington, Dial, his supporters seated behind him in court, listened to audio recordings of the shooting, and looked away as bloody scenes of the interior of Irizarry’s car were shown to the jury.

Dial's high-profile defense team argue Dial fired several times into Irizarry’s, vehicle, in a shooting caught on police body cameras, believing the 27-year-old had a gun when it was a knife with a pistol-like-handle he was holding.

Jurors were shown that knife on Tuesday and they heard a prosecution witness claim Dial’s approach to Irizarry’s vehicle was flawed, endangering himself and leading to the gunfire.

Related

Eddie Irizarry: Bodycam proves man never left car in fatal officer-involved shooting, family attorney says

Family of Eddie Irizarry were finally able to see the bodycam footage showing the moment a Philadelphia officer fatally opened fire during a traffic stop, a video they say proves the innocence of their beloved family member.

What they're saying:

Outside court, demonstrators held signs and demanded the fired ex-cop be sent to prison for the killing of Eddie Irizarry. A protester said, "Maybe he thought he could get away with it because Eddie is Puerto Rican or because it happened in Kensington or because we know in this country having a badge is a license to shoot first and ask questions later."

Back in the courtroom, the defense pounded the prosecution’s expert witness on policing, pressing Dr. Mark Edward Brown, of South Carolina, to admit he would have fired and taken cover if he believed a gun was pointed at him.

What's next:

The defense is expected to offer its own expert on policing Wednesday morning. The jury would then receive instructions from the judge and begin deliberations.

Crime & Public SafetyPhiladelphiaPhiladelphia Police DepartmentNews