Florida 13-year-old dies after dirt bike crash as police attempted to pull him over
A 13-year-old boy died on Sunday after losing control of his dirt bike during a traffic stop.
The teen was identified by family members as Stanley Davis Jr., according to NBC affiliate WPTV.
The Boynton Beach Police said in a statement that Davis was allegedly “driving recklessly” when officers attempted a traffic stop.
Its With A Heavy Heart That We Are Tragically & Painfully Forced To Say Goodbye To One Of Our Own 13yr Old Stanley Davis Jr A Child With A Illuminating Smile & A Beautiful Happy Spirit That Shined Everywhere He Went SJ You Were A Becan Of Joy SJ Will Be Truly Be Missed By All RIP pic.twitter.com/LOPDV2SbZh
— Boynton Beach Bulldogs (@boynton_beach) December 27, 2021
In a surveillance video obtained by WPTV, Davis is seen fueling up his dirt bike at a gas station shortly before the crash. As he pulled out, a police SUV can be seen following him.
The teen, who was reportedly wearing a helmet, collided with a sign in the median. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Boynton Beach Police Chief Michael Gregory said law enforcement will conduct “a series of thorough and meticulous investigations into the circumstances of what occurred.” Officers involved will be placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
“That was my grandson, my only grandson,” said Davis’s grandmother Tina Hunter, according to WPTV. “They chased him, chased him. He just panicked because he’s a kid. Chased him right to his damn grave and figured he’s just another Black boy and ain’t nothing is going to be done. That’s the prejudice of the Boynton Beach Police that we’ve been having problems for all these damn years.”
“There’s nothing to make that pain less,” Gregory said during a Sunday press conference. “What we hope to do is do the best we can conducting a thorough investigation to get to the bottom of the facts and circumstances that led to it.”
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