Boy, 13, dies in dirt bike crash during police traffic stop in Boynton
BOYNTON BEACH — A 13-year-old boy riding a dirt bike died Sunday afternoon when he crashed as Boynton Beach police officers attempted a traffic stop, city police said.
Police said the teen was driving recklessly on Boynton Beach Beach Boulevard when officers attempted the traffic stop. The dirt bike went down in the 800 block of North Federal Highway, just north of Boynton Beach Boulevard.
An officer involved will be placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of a series of investigations, city police said. Police did not disclose the name of either the boy or the officer.
In a news conference held at police headquarters Sunday night, Boynton Beach Police Chief Michael G. Gregory and Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. John Baker, whose agency will lead the investigation, issued statements but did not take questions. FHP troopers responded at about 2:45 p.m. to assist Boynton Beach police with the preliminary investigation.
Gregory said he had a chance to speak to the child's parents and made available services offered by the department's victims advocate program.
"That family is devastated and grieving," Gregory said in remarks posted on the police department's Facebook pages. "Our community is devastated and grieving. There's nothing to make that pain any less. What we hope to do is do the best we can conducting a thorough investigation to get to bottom of the facts and circumstances that led to it. "
In addition to the FHP investigation, the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner's Office will conduct a separate investigation to determine the cause and manner of the child's death. At the conclusion of those investigations, Boynton Beach will conduct an internal review to determine if any department procedures or policies were violated.
"I can't say how difficult it is to think of the loss of someone as young as 13 years with such a bright future ahead of him," Gregory said.
Addressing what he described as "false narratives," Gregory said he had not seen any evidence or heard witness testimony that states the officer's vehicle came into contact with the dirt bike. Gregory said there also is no evidence that a secondary crash occurred.
Baker said FHP investigators will be interviewing witnesses and searching for video surveillance evidence from nearby properties. He cautioned that the investigation could take weeks or months to complete.
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Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Boynton Beach Police Department at 561-732-8116, or submit information via the police department's website at www.bbpd.org.
jwhighm@pbpost.com
@JuliusWhigham
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Teen killed in dirt bike crash during attempted traffic stop in Boynton Beach
