The cop involved in the police chase that left a 13-year-old Black kid dead has been fired, according to WPTV.
Boynton Beach Police Officer Mark Sohn was recently terminated after an internal affairs investigation found he acted improperly while pursuing Stanley Davis III, who died while riding his dirt bike last year.
"In this instance, instead of accepting responsibility for violating the city's policies and procedures, you have chosen to repeatedly stand on the fact that you 'were just doing your job,'" Interim City Manager James Stables wrote in an August 18 memorandum.
On December 26, 2021, Stanley was driving 85 mph on a dirt bike when Sohn tried performing a traffic stop on the teen. When the boy didn't stop, the incident escalated into a police chase. Stanley ended up hitting a curb, flying off his bike, and slamming into a sign, according to officials. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sohn tried covering up the fact he was chasing the 13-year-old, The South Florida Sun-Sentinel learned from the investigation. He claims he wanted to pull Stanley over to ticket and "educate" him.
Stables also highlighted Sohn's disciplinary history, which includes two unsatisfactory performances in a vehicle pursuit. The former cop was also involved in a high-speed police chase that led to the death of a 5-year-old child.
Sue-Ann Robinson, an attorney representing Davis' family, said in a statement they're relieved about Sohn's termination:
"We are relieved that Mark Sohn has been fired. We can all sleep a little better knowing that he will not be patrolling the streets tonight. After having to bring Mark Sohn's 20-year reign of terror to the forefront while enduring the loss of their son Stanley Davis III, the city of Boynton Beach owes the family of SJ and the community more, but this is great news and a step in the right direction."
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The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255
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The Association of Black Psychologists 1-301-449-3082
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America 1-240-485-1001
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