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Family of 13-year-old killed on dirt bike crash holds protest in front of Boynton Beach Police Department

'Me seeing my son laying there tore me to pieces,' father says
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Posted at 10:32 PM, Dec 28, 2021
and last updated 2021-12-28 23:20:11-05

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — Friends and family of 13-year-old Stanley Davis stand in front of the Boynton Beach Police Department chanting a clear message.

"Me seeing my son laying there tore me to pieces. I don't know how I'm going to move forward," Stanley's father said.

Stanley's dad believes no parent should outlive their child.

"I felt like I was supposed to die that night," he said.

Boynton Beach police said 13-year-old Stanley Davis died Sunday afternoon during an attempted traffic stop. According to police, Stanley was seen riding his dirt bike recklessly on Boynton Beach Boulevard. Officers tried to make a traffic stop but the teen lost control and ran into a curb in the 800 block of North Federal Highway.

Stanley died at the scene.

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"I want to go on record, these kids shouldn't be targeted based on the geographics of where they stay," Stanley's mother, Shannon Thompson said.

Everyone at the protest is looking for accountability.

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"We're here to make sure my cousin gets justice. We're here because we need answers," Mercedes Morris said.

Davis said in this situation he feels the officer involved didn't see his son as a child.

"You can't expect a kid to think and react like an adult, they're going to react like a kid," he said. They haven't been here long enough to understand life, to understand consequences."

The officer involved is on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.

The department on the other hand is investigating whether the officer broke any department guidelines.