Though police haven’t confirmed a chase, surveillance video obtained by WPTV confirmed the teenager getting fuel on the Boynton Chevron fuel station simply earlier than the crash. A police SUV may be seen trailing Stanley as he rode out of the fuel station.
The Boynton Seaside Police Division wrote in its information launch on Sunday:
It’s with nice disappointment that we announce the dying of a youngster who was working a dust bike this afternoon.
Preliminary investigation signifies that the filth bike operator was noticed driving recklessly on Boynton Seaside Boulevard. Officers tried a site visitors cease, and the filth bike went down within the 800 block of North Federal Freeway.
“Our hearts exit to the members of the family of this younger particular person, and so they can belief that we and our legislation enforcement companions will likely be conducting a sequence of thorough and meticulous investigations into the circumstances of what occurred,” Boynton Seaside Police Chief Michael G. Gregory mentioned.
The officer concerned will likely be positioned on administrative go away pending the end result of the investigations, per division coverage.
We can present up to date details about the filth bike operator as soon as we’ve got confirmed correct notification of subsequent of kin.
We ask that anybody with data name us at 561-732-8116 or submit data by way of our web site, www.bbpd.org.
Chief Gregory, a Black man, mentioned throughout a information convention after assembly with the kid’s household that the household and neighborhood are “devastated and grieving.”
“There’s nothing to make that ache any much less. What we hope to do is do the perfect we are able to conducting an intensive investigation to resolve the info and circumstances that led to it,” Gregory mentioned.
Gregory mentioned the division has requested the Florida Freeway Patrol to take over the investigation to make sure objectivity. “They are going to be accountable for it,” the chief mentioned. “They are going to be accumulating the proof, conducting the interviews, and it is going to be their investigation. We are going to get the end result of that investigation.”
He additionally mentioned the Palm Seaside County Medical Examiner’s workplace will likely be conducting a separate investigation wanting into the trigger and method of Stanley’s dying. An inside affairs investigation into any coverage or procedural violations will comply with.
“Once more, cannot say how troublesome it’s to consider the lack of somebody as younger as 13 years previous with such a brilliant future forward of him,” Gregory mentioned. “And I do know that our neighborhood is upset. I do know that there’s a lot of emotion, and in some circumstances, there may be some false narratives and false data that is floating round, so it is incumbent upon us to make it possible for we share what we are able to.”
Gregory mentioned there’s no proof that the officer’s SUV made contact with Stanley’s filth bike or that there was a secondary crash within the incident. He defined that they gained’t have the ability to share all the things whereas authorities are wanting into the matter, however he promised a “honest” and “neutral” investigation.
“I can not start to explain to you the ache that the members of the family are going by tonight,” Gregory mentioned. “It was troublesome to have that dialog with them, but it surely was mandatory.”
Boynton Seaside is a metropolis about 15 miles south of West Palm Seaside with a inhabitants that’s about 30% Black and 63% white. Final June, one metropolis employee was fired and the fireplace chief was requested to resign when the faces of two former fireplace chiefs had been changed with that of white individuals in a hearth station artwork mural. Retired Deputy Chief Latosha Clemons, who was the town’s first Black feminine firefighter, and retired Chief Glenn Joseph, a Black man, had been changed within the mural. Clemons sued the town for $100,000 in damages in April, in line with The Washington Publish.
“I used to be like, ‘Wow, why did this occur?’” Clemons mentioned at a information convention. “I used to be damage. I used to be disillusioned. After which I used to be outraged.”