Family Of Boy Killed During Pursuit Wants Officer Fired

Boynton Beach, FL -A family in South Florida is demanding a Boynton Beach police officer be fired because their 13-year-old son died after he tried to pull him over. And their attorneys are saying it’s not the officer’s first deadly pursuit 13-year-old Stanley Davis III died in December 2021 when a currently unnamed officer with the Boynton Beach Police Department tried to pull him over. At some point during the stop, the teen was ejected after crashing his bike and later died. Surveillance footage recorded prior to the crash shows Davis filling up his bike at a gas station before he was followed by the officer. The officer claims he then pursued the teen and accused him of driving recklessly. At a press conference on Tuesday (Mar. 1), lawyers representing Davis’ family said the officer involved was also the pursuing officer in two other deadly crashes while on the job, once in 2012 and 2016, and those other two subjects were black, like Stanley. Davis attorney Jasmine Rand said his police record is one of the worst she’s seen. “One of the worst documented histories of police brutality, of racism, that has caused the death of three black citizens in Boynton Beach,” said Rand. A police statement released around the same time as Stanley’s death labeled the officer as a victim. In that same release, the department cited Marsy’s Law—which lets victims of crimes hide their identities in public records requests—in its decision to shield the officer’s name from the public. The release also stated that the officer’s car was not outfitted with a dash camera. A probe into the crash is now being handled by the Florida Highway Patrol. Investigators believe the probe is likely to take a few months. Should Officers Be Covered Under Marsy’s Law? The idea of law enforcement officers using a law like Marsy’s Law to conceal their identities is one that doesn’t bode well with Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood; and it’s a subject he’s set to bring forward to the state Supreme Court. On Monday (Feb. 28), the sheriff received approval (Feb. 28) to file an amicus brief with the Florida Supreme Court arguing that the 2018 law should not apply to law enforcement. This is weeks after Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri received permission to file a similar brief. In a motion seeking to file a brief, Chitwood argues that citizens should know the names of deputies and officers involved in the use of deadly force so departments remain transparent. “This disclosure of the deputies’ names not only promotes transparency and accountability but helps to rebuild the eroding public trust in law enforcement. VSO (Volusia Sheriff’s Office) desires to continue disclosing the names of deputies who are involved in the use of deadly force while in the execution of their official duties in order to continue promoting transparency and accountability,” the motion said. News Daytona Beach has reached out to both sheriff’s for their comments on Marsy’s Law. We have yet to receive a reply. Some reports have also identified the officer involved in the deadly incident. News Daytona Beach has reached out to the Boynton Beach Police Department to confirm his identity.