Eddie Irizarry’s car windows were rolled up when a Philadelphia police officer shot and killed him on Monday as he sat in his car, according to two law enforcement sources and photos of the vehicle at the scene.
The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation, said body camera footage of the shooting appears to show that the windows to Irizarry’s Toyota Corolla were rolled up as the officer — identified Thursday as Mark Dial — approached the car with his partner Monday afternoon.
Irizarry was sitting in the driver’s seat as Dial’s partner — whom police have not identified— approached the passenger side of the car and attempted to open the door. The officer then yelled that Irizarry “had a weapon,” police said.
That’s when Dial shot Irizarry multiple times, police said, firing at least one shot through the front windshield and then several others through the driver’s side window. Two knives were later “observed” in the car, police said.
Irizarry, 27, was shot six times, according to his family. He was rushed to Temple University Hospital by police but died a short time later.
Photos captured at the scene show the window of the driver’s side door shattered, and a bullet hole through the windshield. The front passenger window appeared to be open just a crack.
The new details add to mounting questions about the moments leading up to Irizarry’s death and have led his family to question how officers could have believed he posed a threat that warranted deadly force.
“They murdered my nephew … cold blood,” said Irizarry’s aunt Zoraida Garcia. ”And I want answers.”
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The changing narrative and fresh detail that Irizarry’s car window was closed added to the family’s concern about what happened to him. They have hired a lawyer to investigate and have vowed to seek justice.