Family of Eddie Irizarry speaks out after charges dropped against officer: 'We're going to continue to fight'

PHILADELPHIA - The family of Eddie Irizarry said they will ‘continue to fight’ after all charges were dropped against the officer who fatally shot the 27-year-old man during a traffic stop.

"We're going to continue to fight, we're going to appeal the case and continue to fight," Zoraida Garcia, Irizarry's aunt, told FOX 29. "He committed a crime and he needs to pay for the crime he committed."

Police body camera footage shown at the preliminary hearing of fired Officer Mark Dial showed Irizarry holding a knife near his right leg as police approached his stopped vehicle. The officers had pulled Irizarry over on a residential street after a short pursuit prompted by erratic driving.

Bodycam footage shows Dial shot Irizarry about seven seconds after getting out of a police SUV and walking over to the sedan. He fired a total of six rounds.

"He murdered my nephew and evidence was there, all the evidence was there," Garcia said. " That goes to tell you an officer can kill someone in Philadelphia and get away with murder." 

Police previously backtracked from their initial statements that Dial shot Irizarry outside the vehicle after he "lunged at" police with a knife. Dial, a five-year member of the force, was suspended after officials said he refused to cooperate with investigators. Police said Dial was fired on Sept. 18.

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Dial's partner, Officer Michael Morris, said the officers started following Irizarry after he sped past them in a bike lane and rounded a corner. They did not put on their lights and sirens but sent in information about the vehicle. Morris said he was not sure whether they received any information back from police radio.

Morris testified Tuesday that he saw the driver holding a knife with a black metal handle that could have looked like a gun. He said Irizarry started to raise it as Dial approached the car, which had stopped while going the wrong way on the one-way street.

Irizarry's family attorney Shaka Johnson called Tuesday's ruling "another dagger" in the family's faith in the legal process. He described the family's mood as "absolutely distraught" in an interview with FOX 29's Shaynah Ferreira. 

"Sometimes we have to make noise to be heard, it's sad to say but here in the city, we have to make noise and we've been peaceful this whole time," Garcia said. "When you go peaceful, all charges get dropped."

The controversial ruling sparked planned protests in Philadelphia Tuesday night. The Party of Socialism & Liberation announced an emergency mobilization protest and call for justice at City Hall shortly after the judge's ruling. 

Meanwhile, Sheriff Rochelle Bilal and Senator Sharif Street held a press conference a Tuesday evening to call for the public to remain calm as the legal process continues to play out. 

"All I'm saying today until the process is done to please remain calm, peaceful protest is what we do - it's in our DNA - and until the process is done, please remain calm so that we can move forward and make sure the process continues on," Sheriff Bilal said.