Eddie Irizarry’s relatives distraught after charges dropped against officer who fatally shot him

By MARYCLAIRE DALE
Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Relatives of a man shot and killed by a Philadelphia police officer during a traffic stop for erratic driving are stunned and distraught by a judge’s dismissal of all charges. Relatives of Eddie Irizarry said Tuesday after the ruling that police should not need to fatally shoot someone just because they speed or act irrationally. The judge dismissed a murder count and other charges against Officer Mark Dial after watching police bodycam video of the traffic stop and shooting. The defense asserted that Dial acted in self-defense when he fired through the driver’s side window of Irizarry’s sedan in August.