BOYNTON BEACH – A 13-year-old boy riding an off-road motorcycle died on Sunday afternoon when he crashed as Boynton Beach officers attempted a traffic stop, town police said.

Police said the teenager was driving recklessly on Boynton Beach Beach Boulevard when officers attempted to control traffic. The all-terrain motorcycle fell in the 800 block of the 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. The police did not reveal the boy’s name or the policeman’s name.

At a press conference at police headquarters on Sunday night, Boynton Beach Police Chief Michael G. Gregory and Florida Highway Patrol Staff Sgt. John Baker, whose agency will investigate, made statements but did not answer questions. FHP soldiers responded at around 2:45 p.m. to assist Boynton Beach Police with the preliminary investigation.

Gregory said he had the opportunity to speak to the child’s parents and made available the services offered by the ministry’s victim advocacy program.

“This family is devastated and in mourning,” Gregory said in remarks posted on the police department’s Facebook pages. “Our community is devastated and in mourning. There is nothing to alleviate this pain. What we hope to do is do our best to conduct a thorough investigation to shed light on the facts and circumstances there. have led. “

In addition to the FHP’s 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. Upon completion of these investigations, Boynton Beach will conduct an internal review to determine if any departmental procedures or policies have been violated.

“I can’t say how hard it is to think about the loss of someone as young as 13 with such a bright future ahead of him,” said Gregory.

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Addressing what he called “false accounts”, Gregory said he had seen no evidence or heard any testimony that the officer’s vehicle made contact with the off-road motorcycle. Gregory said there was also no evidence that a secondary accident had occurred.

Baker said FHP investigators would interview witnesses and search for evidence of video surveillance at neighboring properties. He warned that the investigation could take weeks or months.

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Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the Boynton Beach Police Department at 561-732-8116, or submit information through the Police Department’s website at www.bbpd.org .

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@JuliusWhigham

This article originally appeared on the Palm Beach Post: Teenager Killed in Off-Road Motorcycle Crash While Attempted to Stop Traffic in Boynton Beach