OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – A man who was engulfed in flames at a gas station in 2022 is suing Osceola County and several deputies, claiming a “despicable” use of force.
In February 2022, Jean Barreto-Baerga was riding his motorcycle when a traffic stop escalated into a confrontation at a gas station. Deputies, including David Crawford, followed Barreto to the Wawa due to allegations of reckless driving.
Crawford was accused of using a Taser on Barreto, who was in a pool of gasoline, sparking a fire that injured both men. In November, Crawford was found not guilty of culpable negligence. He claimed he did not fire the taser, stating he picked it up after another deputy fired it, and it accidentally discharged.
“I knew we were in gas, and I wanted to get the Taser away from him,” Crawford said on the stand.
Barreto, who suffered burns on over 75% of his body, had his legal team indicate that a federal lawsuit was inevitable even before the trial concluded.
“Jean’s scars are obviously physical. He’s completely maimed and scared from head to toe but the real damage is on the inside,” attorney Albert Yonfa told News 6 during the trial.
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Barreto is suing the county, Sheriff Marcos Lopez, Crawford, and four other deputies, alleging the incident was a “despicable and wholly unnecessary use of force for a suspected traffic violation” that left him permanently disfigured.
In a statement, Barreto said, “I feel very alone, and I am in constant physical pain. Everything changed that day. I relive that nightmare every single day.”
Barreto spent a year in intensive care, enduring severe pain and undergoing multiple medical procedures. The 29-page lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, demands a jury trial and alleges violations of Barreto’s Fourth Amendment rights, assault and battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The lawsuit references videos posted by Lopez on social media, where he pledged to chase down and jail motorbike riders for popping wheelies, and the death of Jaden Baez, a 20-year-old killed by deputies in a Target parking lot after being accused of stealing Pokémon cards in April 2022.
Barreto’s legal team argues that Lopez “emphasized machismo over reasonable policing and ultimately put the public at risk,” and they are demanding a jury trial.
News 6 has reached out to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office for comment but has not yet received a response.
Osceola deputy Taser lawsuit by Christie Zizo on Scribd
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