Prominent civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump said his legal team will file a wrongful death lawsuit against a South Florida police department in the December death of a teenager who officers were attempting to pull over.
NBC affiliate WPTV-TV reports Boynton Beach Police attempted to pull over 13-year-old Stanley Davis III on December 26th for driving recklessly on his dirt bike.
Officers said Davis lost control and hit a curb before being ejected and hitting a sign. Davis died at the scene from his injuries.
Crump and his legal team said the officer in question was involved in two other high-speed pursuits that ended with a Black person dying.
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"A police officer with Boynton Beach engaged in a very dangerous, high-speed pursuit of this 13-year-old child," Crump said Thursday. "We believe he violated pursuit policies that we believe is a pattern and practice of Boynton Beach and in particular of this officer."
Boynton Beach Police said there is no dashcam video of the incident, but Crump said he believes otherwise.
"Why when he's doing a high-speed pursuit would he not have a dashcam video?" Crump asked, adding he is speaking with the Florida Highway Patrol on the matter. "We understand differently."
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The officer involved remains on administrative leave. The police department has six months to resolve the matter without litigation.
