OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — A federal judge refused Osceola County’s request to dismiss a lawsuit by a man severely burned after being tased at a gas station.
Jean Louis Barreto-Baerga filed a lawsuit against the county and six deputies after an incident that caused burns on 75% of his body.
The lawsuit alleges Osceola County deputies chased Barreto-Baerga from Kissimmee to Orlando, tackled and Tased him while refueling his motorcycle. Court records show deputies were told during the chase that he was not the suspect they sought for a nearby assault.
The incident began on February 27, 2022, when Barreto-Baerga participated in a memorial ride for a motorcyclist who died the previous year. He was leaving a gathering near La Terraza Sports Bar on Donegan Road, Kissimmee, when it occurred. Just before departure, reports of an assault involving a motorcyclist emerged about a mile from the bar.
Court documents say deputies chased Barreto-Baerga after he was seen doing a wheelie on Donegan Road. The chase from Osceola to Orange County ended at a Wawa gas station at John Young and Central Florida parkways in Orlando. Despite being told during the chase he wasn’t the assault suspect, deputies still confronted him there.
The lawsuit states Barreto-Baerga was filling his motorcycle when deputies tackled him. He was tased again, igniting nearby gasoline and causing an explosion that burned 75% of his body.
Barreto-Baerga is seeking monetary compensation for damages, costs, attorney’s fees, and pre- and post-judgment interest.
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