Eddie Irizarry was a 27-year-old man who was fatally shot by a Philadelphia police officer during a traffic stop in August 2023.
His family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the officer who fired the gunshots that killed him, as well as the officer’s partner.
The civil lawsuit seeks at least $150,000 in monetary damages, claiming that Irizarry was “inexplicably shot and killed…when he posed no threat of bodily harm, injury or death to anyone”.
The officer who fired the shots, Mark Dial, was initially charged with murder, voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, simple assault, reckless endangering of another person and official oppression, but all charges were dismissed by a Philadelphia municipal court judge.
The judge’s decision was met with protests from Irizarry’s family and supporters.
However, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office has since refiled murder charges against Dial.
In addition to the lawsuit, Irizarry’s family has also spoken out about the incident and their intention to continue fighting for justice.
Eddie Irizarry bodycam video
As mentioned above, Irizarry was fatally shot by a former Philadelphia police officer during a traffic stop.
The shooting was caught on bodycam video, which was released to the public.
The video shows the officer, Mark Dial, getting out of the passenger’s side of a police SUV and running to a car with Irizarry behind the wheel.
The officer can be seen holding a gun as he quickly approaches the car.
Shouts of “Show me your hands” and “I’ll f—— shoot you” are heard just as Dial runs up to Irizarry’s closed car window.
Dial then fires five shots at point-blank range, then runs past the front of the car while firing a sixth time.
The video was described as “extremely difficult to watch” and “graphic” by District Attorney Larry Krasner and Mayor Jim Kenney, respectively.
The Philadelphia district attorney charged Dial with murder and other felony crimes earlier this month.
However, on September 26, a Philadelphia municipal court judge dismissed all charges against Dial, including murder:
The bodycam footage is considered crucial evidence in the case and will likely be introduced at both the preliminary hearing and trials.
Dial’s attorney, Brian McMonagle, has argued that there is more to the story.
Irizarry’s family wanted the video to be released to show what happened to their loved one and the suffering it caused.
How did the video go viral
Social media has played a significant role in spreading leaked videos and making them go viral.
Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok allow users to easily share content with their followers and friends.
This makes it easy for people to share leaked videos with their network, which can quickly spread the video to a wider audience.
Additionally, these platforms use algorithms to promote content that is popular and engaging.
When a leaked video starts to gain traction, the algorithm may start promoting it to more users, which can lead to even more views and shares.
Further, hashtags are a powerful tool for organizing and promoting content on social media.
When a leaked video is shared with a relevant hashtag, it can quickly gain visibility and attract more viewers.
Social media platforms are built around user-generated content, which means that anyone can create and share content with a global audience.
This has made it easier for people to leak videos and share them with the world.
Overall, social media has played a significant role in spreading leaked videos and making them go viral.
While this can have negative consequences for the people involved in the videos, it also highlights the power of social media to spread information and shape public opinion.
