Outgoing Boynton Beach mayor wants park named for 13-year-old dirt bike rider who died

BOYNTON BEACH — Outgoing Boynton Beach Mayor Steven Grant wants a small park in the Heart of Boynton neighborhood to be named after the 13-year-old boy killed Dec. 26 on his dirt bike while being followed by city police.

The death of Stanley "SJ" Davis III, a 7th-grade student at Congress Middle School, widened an angry rift between the city's Black community and its police department and municipal officials.

Grant has identified a "pocket park" on the corner of NE Sixth Avenue and NE Sixth Court as the appropriate spot "to give SJ some justice... by honoring his life with a park in order that everyone knows the city is striving for safety and justice because of the tragic incident that happened.”

The teenager died after the dirt bike he received the previous day as a Christmas present struck a median on North Federal Highway, catapulting him into a street sign. Davis, who was wearing a helmet, died at the scene.

Officer Mark Sohn, who was pursuing the motorbike when it crashed, remains on paid administrative leave while the Florida Highway Patrol conducts a probe into the boy's death. Sohn, a 20-year veteran, has been involved in two previous vehicle pursuits of Black motorists that led to fatalities, including that of a 5-year-old pedestrian, according to a Palm Beach Post investigation.

Attorneys for the boy's family have notified Boynton Beach officials they intend to sue the city.

But whether Grant gets his wish to name the park after Davis — the city commission on March 15 agreed to temporarily name it Stanley Dale Davis III Safety Justice Memorial Gardens — the decision likely will be left to the new commission being seated next week that includes incoming Mayor Ty Penserga.

Grant, along with Commissioners Justin Katz and Christina Romelus, was term-limited and not eligible for re-election.

Before the proposal comes to a vote, city staff will review it for adherence to policies on naming facilities. A five-person advisory committee appointed by the city commission will follow by conducting its own review before providing a recommendation.

Another hurdle is the approval of Davis's parents, Shannon Thompson and Stanley Davis Jr. Grant said he thinks the parents "were OK" with the park being named after their son.

Attempts to reach the family's attorneys, civil rights lawyers Ben Crump and Jasmine Rand, were unsuccessful.

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Boynton Police will hold community conversation Thursday night

Police Chief Michael Gregory will host a "community conversation" with residents Thursday night at the police department from 6 to 8 p.m. The police department is located at 2100 High Ridge Road.

It marks the first time Gregory will address the community in a public forum since Davis' death, but city officials say the FHP's on-going investigation and the family's pending litigation precludes Gregory or any other city employee from commenting on the case.

City officials have drawn criticism, including from Grant and Penserga, for twice canceling a meeting that was billed as an opportunity for the public to speak directly to municipal and law enforcement officials, including City Manager Lori LaVerriere and Gregory, about issues connected to Davis' case and other police matters.

Grant said regular public forums with police and residents "should have happened a while ago, whether the incident with SJ happened or not.”

A police spokeswoman said a "community conversation" would take place bi-monthly, with the next one scheduled for May 5. Thursday night's discussion topics will center on internal affairs and community policing, according to a release.

Grant said that even if the Davis case is off the table, dialogue is important.

"What are we going to do in the future if an officer sees somebody on a dirt bike?" Grant said. "We’re not changing the past by having this conversation. We’re trying to make the future better."

jmilian@pbpost.com

@caneswatch

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Boynton Beach mayor wants park named after Stanley Davis III, boy killed