BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) — A longtime Boynton Beach Police officer has been fired for his role in the dirt bike crash that claimed the life of a 13-year-old boy, according to an internal document.
The termination of Officer Mark Sohn comes after the completion of an internal affairs investigation and months of calls for accountability from the community.
Earlier in the year, cameras captured protesters who made their opinion on the officer be heard loud and clear.
“Fire Mark Sohn! Fire Mark Sohn!” they chanted.
On Friday, their calls were finally answered.
The internal affairs investigation concluded that Sohn, a K-9 officer and a 20-year veteran with the department, violated the law enforcement agency’s policies when he tried to pull over 13-year-old Stanley Davis III on Dec. 26, 2021.
The middle school student was going 85 miles per hour when he tried to get out of a traffic stop.
Investigators said Davis lost control of his dirt bike and hit a one-way sign and a median on North Federal Highway. He died at the scene.
“If we had not put pressure on the City of Boynton Beach, this would’ve went away like it had never happened,” said Bryce Graham, a spokesperson for Davis’ family.
In a termination letter sent to Sohn, Boynton Beach Interim City Manager James Stables wrote, “While the other party did commit multiple violations of the law, none met the threshold of a pursuit or were worthy of a continued vehicle pursuit at a high speed.”
“I am assured that he will not get his job back, based off of his history, based off his record and three fatalities,” said Graham.
The internal memo also highlighted Sohn’s disciplinary history, which includes suspensions for being involved in two other pursuits that ended in death.
Graham said the teen’s parents are relieved.
“We are applauding that they did it, but we want them to go an extra mile,” he said.
Graham said Davis’ parents are now pushing for an arrest and charges to be filed from the Palm Beach State Attorney’s Office, even though Sohn was cleared by the Florida Highway Patrol back in March.
“The termination strengthens our case, because it said that if he would have never caused this chase, this death would have never happened,” said Graham.
In the 20 years since he was hired, Sohn received more than a dozen reprimands.
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