Cop who engulfed motorcyclist in flames after tasering him at gas station to be charged: report
A Florida sheriff's deputy who was being investigated for setting a man on fire with a taser is due to be charged, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
Deputy David Crawford is facing a charge of culpable negligence for tackling Jean Barretto Baerga as he pumped gasoline on Feb. 27, 2022, causing a pool of fuel to develop on the ground beneath him. When the Osceola County sheriff fired his taser, Baerga was enveloped in flames and suffered burns on nearly three-quarters of his body, according to the report.
Baerga had allegedly fled from police responding to a report of a group of bikers riding recklessly. Crawford has been on administrative leave during the investigation into the incident.
Baerga's lawyer said his client's recovery has resulted in $7 million in medical expenses, the Sentinel reported.
“He barely survived,” Baerga's lawyer Mark NeJame told the newspaper. “His life will always be in jeopardy because of the massive amount of scar tissue and damage that happened to his body. … He’s doing his best to get through his life with these cards that have been dealt to him.”
Body cam video of the incident showed Crawford tackling Baerga without announcing himself as the pool of gasoline started to form. Crawford then raised his Taser, shouting, “You’re gonna get Tased again, dude," and pulled the trigger, igniting the fire.
“If he was driving recklessly, charge him with reckless driving, but you don’t almost kill somebody and set them on fire,” NeJame said. “You cannot have law enforcement running amok. They’re supposed to be our protectors, not our ignitors.”
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