PHILADELPHIA – In response to the decision by Municipal Court Judge Wendy L. Pew to dismiss all charges against former Philadelphia Police Officer Mark Dial, Councilmember Brooks (At-Large) released the following statement:
“Like many Philadelphians, I was shocked and outraged to learn that all charges against former officer Mark Dial have been dismissed. When it comes to holding white police officers to account for the murders of people of color, our country has a long history of failure. Philadelphians have rightly called out for a public reckoning in the case of Eddie Irizarry’s tragic death, and that reckoning cannot be achieved without a full trial for the former officer who killed him. By dismissing the charges against him, Municipal Court Judge Wendy Pew has denied Philadelphians the opportunity to fully understand the circumstances surrounding yet another death of a person of color at the hands of a white police officer.
“As a Black mother and grandmother, I understand the fear that parents of color feel when their children encounter the police. I understand the collective trauma when another video surfaces of a Black or brown person being killed by a police officer. I understand why Eddie Irizarry’s family and friends have been crying out for justice. As we have seen with the killing of Walter Wallace, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and many others, incidents like the killing of Eddie Irizarry deepen our fear and trauma and widen the breach of trust between communities of color and the police.
“I applaud the District Attorney’s plan to appeal this decision to the Court of Common Pleas, and I hope that a full trial can bring some measure of justice and peace to the family of Eddie Irizarry and all Philadelphians who are outraged by his untimely death.”
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