Boynton Beach K-9 cop Mark Sohn involved in teen's dirt bike death fired

BOYNTON BEACH — Mark Sohn, the Boynton Beach police officer involved in the death of a 13-year-old dirt bike rider on Dec. 26, was fired Friday, according to several sources.

Sohn, a decorated K-9 officer, had been on paid administrative leave since he chased Stanley Davis III at high speeds on city streets, resulting in the Congress Middle School student crashing into a median on North Federal Highway and dying of his injuries.

The incident has kept the city on edge for months, especially many Black residents who say Sohn was well-known in the community for targeting its residents.

John Kazanjian, president of the Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Association, said Sohn has filed a grievance against the city over his dismissal.

"What he did wasn't criminal, and he shouldn't lose his job over what he was asked to do," Kazanjian said.

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The Florida Highway Patrol, which investigated the dirt bike crash, found that Sohn was not criminally responsible for the boy's death. Its report, released in March, blamed Davis for the crash, finding that he was traveling at speeds of up to 85 mph on the motorbike while "driving recklessly" after "unlawfully fleeing an attempted traffic stop."

The city police department followed by conducting an internal affairs investigation to determine if Sohn violated any policies in the incident.

Sohn has a history of disciplinary issues during his 20-year career, including two prior suspensions for violating the department's vehicle pursuit rules. Including the Davis case, Sohn has taken part in three vehicle pursuits that led to the death of Black victims.

Family and friends of the boy have demanded Sohn's firing, saying he violated the police department's policy regarding vehicle pursuits which states that chases will be initiated only "if the officer reasonably believes that the person(s) fleeing has committed a forcible felony defined as: murder, manslaughter, sexual battery, carjacking, home-invasion robbery; robbery, arson or kidnapping."

The parents of Davis III said in January they intend to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the city police department in federal court. Nationally known civil rights attorney Ben Crump is representing the boy's family.

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The city has never identified Sohn as the officer at the center of the fatal crash. Sohn invoked his right to privacy under a 2018 constitutional amendment that permits crime victims to shield their name and personal information from the public.

Interim City Manager Jim Stables released a brief statement late Friday:

"The city has concluded an investigation into a disciplinary matter involving a member of the Boynton Beach Police Department. The city will make no further comments or statements on this or any other personnel matter."

Stables has declined to provide updates on the internal affairs' investigation, even to Davis III's family.

A confrontation between people connected to the boy's family and city commission members took place following the Aug. 2 meeting after Stables declined to give any details regarding the case. City police officers intervened, but no one was arrested.

Sohn received a one-day unpaid suspension for a 2012 pursuit that ended with the death of 38-year-old Cyrus Deal. An internal affairs investigation found Sohn did not have any reason to pursue Deal's vehicle.

Another vehicle pursuit in 2016 led to the death of 5-year-old Jayden Readon, who was walking toward a park with his grandparents when he was struck by a fleeing driver. Sohn was not disciplined in the case but is being sued, along with the city, by the boy's parents.

Sohn was suspended for one week in 2004 after he violated 12 department policies during a chase of a stolen car into Delray Beach, according to his internal affairs file.

Jorge Milian is a journalist covering Boynton Beach and Lake Worth Beach at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jmilian@pbpost.com and follow him on Twitter at Caneswatch. Help support our work, subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Boynton Beach K-9 officer involved in teen's dirt bike death fired