Photo Courtesy of Davis family
Officials said that a 13-year-old boy died Sunday afternoon after he crashed his dirt bike as police attempted to pull him over.
According to NBC News, police said in a statement from the Boynton Beach Police department that they saw the teen identified as Stanley Davis Jr., 13, “driving recklessly” along Boynton Beach Boulevard.
In a video obtained by the Florida NBC affiliate WPTV, Davis Jr. was at a gas station when a police SUV followed him after he exited the station, and several minutes later, he crashed the bike in the 800 block of North Federal Highway while officers attempted a traffic stop, police said. The teen was pronounced dead at the scene.
Davis Jr.’s grandmother, Tina Hunter, said the teen panicked during the police chase.
“That was my grandson, my only grandson,” she said. “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.”
The Boynton Beach Police Chief Michael G. Gregory addressed the incident on Sunday during a news conference.
“I can’t say how difficult it is to think of a loss of someone as young as 13 years old with such a bright future ahead of them,” Gregory said. “I know that our community is upset. I know there is a lot of emotion.”
Gregory promised a “thorough and conclusive investigation into what took place.”
Police made a statement regarding the teen’s death: “Our hearts go out to the family members of this young person, and they can trust that we and our law enforcement partners will be conducting a series of thorough and meticulous investigations into the circumstances of what occurred.”
Gregory also noted that the Florida Highway Patrol would investigate the attempted traffic stop. In addition, the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office will also investigate the child’s cause and manner of death.
Gregory also met with the 13-year-old’s family to offer his condolences.
“There’s nothing to make that pain less,” Gregory said. “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,” USA TODAY reported.
Palm Beach County Attorney Michael Pike said the minimum age to ride a dirt bike in the state is 16.
“I think there’s two issues to this case,” Pike told NBC. “One is the legality of the dirt bike on the road, the second is the legality of the chase itself. As to dirt bikes on Florida roads the answer is no. Dirt bikes are not allowed on Florida highways.”
Once the investigations are completed, Gregory said the department would initiate an internal investigation to determine if any policy violations or procedures occurred at the time of the incident.
The officer involved in the attempted traffic stop has been placed on administrative leave, awaiting the outcome of the investigation.