OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — Jean Louis Barreto-Baerga is filing a lawsuit against Osceola County and six deputies from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office after an incident involving him and the OCSO on Feb. 27, 2022, where he was tased and caught on fire, burning 75% of his body.
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On Feb. 27, 2022, Barreto-Baerga, along with a large group of riders, was leaving a memorial ride near La Terraza Sports Bar on Donegan Road in Kissimmee, honoring a rider who had passed away in an accident the prior year.
Minutes before leaving the memorial, an assault by a person on a motorcycle was reported approximately a mile from La Terraza Sports Bar.
Court documents say Barreto-Baerga was seen riding a wheelie on Donegan Road, prompting a chase from OCSO.
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Barreto-Baerga led deputies on a chase from Osceola County to Orange County in Orlando to a Wawa at John Young and Central Florida parkways.
The deputies involved in the lawsuit were notified that Barreto-Baerga was not the suspect they were looking, according to court documents.
Barreto-Baerga was filling up his bike with gas when he was tackled to the ground by OCSO and later tased, according to the lawsuit.
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Barreto-Baerga was tased a second time, causing an ignition of the gas that was around him, exploding and submerging him in the fire.
Barreto-Baerga is looking for monetary compensation for damages, cost disbursements, pre- and post-judgment interest, and attorney fees from all the parties involved.
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