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Federal complaint alleges that a teen's civil rights were violated in deadly dirt bike chase

Stanley Davis II, Shannon Thompson, and attorney Ben Crump hold their fists in the air during a rally in March for 13-year-old Stanley Davis III, who was killed during an attempted traffic stop in Boynton Beach.
John McCall
/
The South Florida Sun Sentinel
Stanley Davis II, Shannon Thompson, and attorney Ben Crump hold their fists in the air during a rally in March for 13-year-old Stanley Davis III, who was killed during an attempted traffic stop in Boynton Beach.

The family of Stanley Davis III has filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Boynton Beach and former police officer Mark Sohn, alleging Sohn violated Davis III’s civil rights when he chased him on Dec. 26, 2021, ultimately leading the boy to crash his dirt bike and die.

The complaint, filed last week on behalf of the 13-year-old boy’s parents, seeks a jury trial and monetary damages. Renowned civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who represented the families of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in wrongful death lawsuits, is working the case.

Among the allegations in the complaint are that the city and Sohn violated Davis III’s Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights and that both had a pattern of violating those rights of Black citizens. The complaint says Sohn had a history of misconduct and unauthorized chases, including two others where Black people died, and cites other lawsuits against Sohn and the city.

Read more from our news partner at The South Florida Sun Sentinel.

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