In Boynton Beach, a unanimous decision by city commissioners to appeal an arbitrator's recommendation brings a contentious issue back into the community's spotlight. The arbitrator had previously suggested the rehiring of former police officer Mark Sohn, who was involved in a fatal dirt bike chase resulting in the death of 13-year-old Stanley Davis III in 2021, as reported by WPTV on July 16.
The commissioners' decision was met with relief by community activists, among them Bryce Graham, who declared, "It is outrageous. I believe and I still believe, and I stand by firmly that he should not get his job back in this city." The city's spokeswoman Dani Moschella conveyed that the city "intends to exhaust all means in this case to ensure a fair and equitable process for the community and the city of Boynton Beach," WPTV noted.
The background to this latest development lies in the untimely death of Davis, who crashed his dirt bike after being pursued by Sohn who was attempting a traffic stop for speeding. After an initial Florida Highway Patrol investigation that cleared Sohn of wrongdoing, an internal police department probe led to his dismissal in 2022, a crucial detail highlighted in the report from CW 34 on July 16. While an arbitrator previously ruled for Sohn's reinstatement in May, the decision excluded backpay, benefits, or seniority.
At the latest commissioners' meeting, there weren't only officials present; family members of the late Davis voiced their objections, indicating that their notification of the agenda discussion was lacking, and it shouldn't have taken this long to make the appeal. While the Davis family and the commissioners found common cause, the arbitrator retains the power to deny the appeal, a fact explained in the CW 34 article. Moreover, the aunt of Stanley Davis III communicated in a WPTV interview that the appeal was still not enough, and they are considering further legal action.
