I don’t blame Outlaw for this screwup

I am no fan of Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw, who has been in over her head since Day One, because “progressive” Mayor Jim Kenney wanted to prove his Wokeness by hiring a Black female who had commanded a police force one-sixth the size of Philly’s.

Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw

That would be Portland, Ore., population 645,300, with a poverty rate of 14%, compared to Philadelphia’s 24% poverty rate, and poverty is a reliable indicator of crime. 

I don’t know the woman, never met her, but she just finished a week in which she was sandbagged by her own officers, either stupid or corrupt.

In the wake of the fatal shooting by police of 27-year-old Eddie Irizarry, Outlaw conducted a news conference in which she said Irizarry was shot standing outside his Toyota Corolla on a Kensington street.

It was a lie.

I don’t blame Outlaw for the lie.

She was repeating information gathered by her staff, and her staff was dependent on the officers on the scene for a description of what happened.

We have now learned, from body camera footage, and examination of the car, that Irizarry was seated in his car, with the windows rolled up, when he was shot six times by a police officer identified as Mark Dial, a five-year veteran of the force. It has the earmarks of an execution. 

An embarrassed Outlaw then had to revise her first statement to one that fit the emerging facts.

It seems obvious the involved officers — Dial’s partner, not yet identified, was on the passenger’s side and reportedly shouted that Irizarry had a weapon — lied. The “weapon” was a knife, or two, that might not have been in the victim’s hands. Even if it were, behind a rolled-up window, was he a threat to officers?

To give the two cops the benefit of every possible doubt, it is possible that they told the truth but their words were garbled as they were passed up the line, like that game of telephone you may have played as a kid.

No, I don’t believe that, but I also don’t believe in convicting without a trial. The body camera footage should be released immediately. It would go a long way to answering questions.

I have one police source, not a fan of Outlaw’s, who told me a while back that he felt sorry for Outlaw because no one in the department has her back. From the command structure, to the rank and file, she is regarded as an outsider hired not on merit, but on looks — Black and female.

That may be true.

At the worst we have a crime — filing a false report with police — and at the least an extraordinary communications break down surrounding the shooting.

Someday has to face the music — and fast.

19 thoughts on “I don’t blame Outlaw for this screwup”

  1. I think I agree with your conclusion, but the way you got there called for filling in the blanks on your own. It is called confabulation. I would hesitate to use the word lie at this point. What is apparent is noisy channels of communication. The first information one gets on any clusterphuque job is almost always wrong. It appears that what was initially reported to the press was wrong. What actually happened remains unknown. Until they figure that out, I am inclined to reserve judgement.

    1. I said I reserve judgment too, until we see the footage from the camera.
      Yes, first reports are often wrong, but this one was SO wrong, even though I gave benefit of the doubt, it seems like lying at worst, a HUGE communications screw-up at the least.
      One more thing: In the original report, police said the victim got out of the car and lunged at the cop with a knife. Hard to square that with the facts we now know.

  2. Stu, I concur with what you said, which I do probably 97% of the time. The times I do not agree with you oa ebecause I feel your methodology was flawed in reaching your conclusion.

    Keep calling them as you see them, my friend.

      1. In my opinion, no, it was not flawed. While I am not a big fan of hers this was not hurt fault.

  3. I don’t understand how an internal investigation, can get so screwed up in such a short time. Something happened, yes, This is an internal Police ivestigation, no help needed, or is necessary from the outside. Even with Outlaw, there are very well trained investigators, who will come out with the facts of this incident. Outlaw should have said NOTHING, not a word until they had the facts. Instead she may have fed this officer to the wolves without just cause. Another reason to fire her.

    1. Vince, Over my many years I have heard those same words used by people who just did not want non-whites, or women, to get certain positions of power or influence. It did not matter if they were the best qualified for the job. However, I am sure Vince that you did not mean it that way, did you?

  4. My sympathy to Patrolman Mark Dial and his family. And to the entire Philadelphia Police Department, minus the useless and incompetent Danielle Outlaw and her useless clique. Our police are consistently working in dangerous, life-threatening situations with their hands tied behind their backs and targets on their badges. Just burns me up when the local jack-asses cannot wait to crucify and dox out a brave policeman in trouble.

  5. Let’s wait and see what the video and audio reveals at the critical moment that the Officer’s weapon discharged. Then we can make an assessment or give an opinion on the Officer’s behavior.

      1. Her Public information Office failed in providing accurate information which led to bad information being released. No denying that

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