Florida mayor says ‘city and police’ responsible in dirt bike death of 13-year-old

The mayor of a Florida town where a 13-year-old boy died when police tried to pull him over said this week that both “the city and police are responsible” for the teen’s death.

On Sunday, Stanley Davis Jr. was riding his dirt bike in Boynton Beach, Fla., when police officers attempted to pull him over for allegedly “driving recklessly.” In security camera footage obtained by local NBC affiliate WPTV, Davis can be seen refueling his bike and being followed by a police SUV as he pulled out of the gas station.

Davis, who was reportedly wearing a helmet, later collided with a sign in the median and was thrown from his bike. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

WATCH: New video shows Stanley Davis Jr., 13, at a gas station on a dirt bike just seconds before he was killed in a crash during a traffic stop.https://t.co/uLM0JDlVMo pic.twitter.com/Kv7iBsQ3Gs

— WPEC CBS12 News (@CBS12) December 27, 2021

Boynton Beach Mayor Steven B. Grant told local CBS affiliate WPEC that the police department should not be blamed for the actions of once officer.

“However the city and police are responsible,” said Grant.

The officer involved in the incident has been placed on paid administrative leave. The SUV they were using was not equipped with a dashcam.

“The situation that created this didn’t happen just yesterday, this is an aspect of how the city has treated parts of the city for decades, even before I was mayor,” Grant said, per WPEC. “So, the city is trying to work with the community to get a resolution so that it’s safer for everyone.”

Davis’s father, Stanley Davis Sr., spoke to WPEC on Sunday and told the station his son was “a great football player, great big brother, loving son. All around perfect kid never had any issues with him.”

The Boynton Beach Police Department’s internal affairs has opened an investigation into the incident, as has the Florida Highway Patrol. WPEC noted that the police department’s policies state that officers should only chase a suspect if they believe they are committing a forcible felony.

Davis’s family has demanded more information on what led up to his death.