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Florida deputy David Crawford on trial for ‘cooking’ motorcyclist alive during botched arrest, is cleared of charges

Motorcyclist, Jean Barretto Baergo, who was turned into human fireball in Florida gas station on Feb 27, 2022 explosion after being tasered by cop trying to arrest on Feb 27, 2022

Barretto Baergo, now 28, ‘barely survived’, suffering second-degree and third-degree burns over 75 percent of his body – that cost $7M in medical bills

Deputy David Crawford was formally charged after using a taser on Barretto Baerga at a Florida gas station, which caused a fireball

Post acquittal, Barreto’s team indicated they will file a civil lawsuit ‘for the reckless, excessive use of force, which was strengthened by the evidence brought forth in this criminal trial’ 

Florida David Crawford was charged for tasering motorcyclist Jean Barretto, as he pumped gas during a botched arrest setting them both ablaze.

A Florida sheriff’s deputy on trial for tasering a motorcyclist as he pumped gas during a botched arrest setting them both ablaze. The effects were devastating, however has been acquitted on all charges
It was 15 months after the incident before Osceola County deputy David Crawford was charged with culpable negligence for the February 2022 incident.
Fast forward 33 months after, Crawford was found not guilty of negligence on Friday, Nov 22.
Jean Barretto Baergo was left with burns covering nearly three-quarters of his body after investigators said Crawford shocked him with a taser as he refilled his bike at a Wawa gas station.

Osceola County Sheriff’s Dep David Crawford, [photo], was found not guilty of negligence for the February 2022 incident

Motorcyclist Jean Barretto Baergo was hospitalized [photo] following the tasing incident that caused a fire. He was left with burns covering 75 percent of his body. He was 26 at the time

The resultant second- and third-degree burns covering over 75percent of Baergo’s body lumped tax payers in the county with $7million in medical costs.
Baergo, then 26, had been pursued by deputies after fleeing law enforcement responding to a report of a group of motorcyclists riding recklessly on February 27, 2022.
More than a year after tasering, Osceola County Sheriff’s deputy David Crawford was formally charged with culpable negligence in May 2023. Crawford was also placed on suspension, but was not fired.
Body camera footage showed Crawford approaching the gas pumps where Barreto was filling his bike before tackling him to the ground.
‘Get off the bike! Get on the ground now,’ Crawford yelled in the video as a fellow officer pulled out his taser and fired it.

Footage shows gasoline spilling onto the ground after the officers failed to allow Barreto to close gas tank before they tackled him.
A second deputy, Christopher Koffinas, used his stun gun on the victim, at which point Crawford shouted at the back-up officers to turn off the gas pump. 
‘Kill the pump, kill the pump, there’s gas,’ Crawford said as his fellow officer dropped the taser.
But Crawford then picked it up, warning: ‘You’re about to get tasered again, dude,’ then fires the taser.
Moments later, the taser is heard on video and flames erupt, forcing Crawford to roll around on the ground and scream as he catches fire for about 30 seconds.

Leading to the tragic arrest, Jean Barreto Baergo[photo], had been pursued by deputies after fleeing law enforcement responding to a report of a group of motorcyclists riding recklessly on Feb 27, 2022

Dep. David Crawford also set him self alight from tasering a motorcyclist as he pumped gas during a botched arrest in February 2022

During the week-long trial Crawford testifying in his own defense on Thursday, told the jury that he was fearful Baergo had a gun. At one point during the pursuit of the bike gang, officials say someone flashed a gun, but it was never clarified who.
Baergo was found to be unarmed after the incident occurred.
Crawford said he believed Baergo would have harmed more people if he had gotten away.
The defense went further to say officer Crawford did not intentionally deploy the Taser, instead the weapon deployed when he tossed it to the side
Crawford himself testified that he has ‘no memory of turning the safety off.’
More perplexing, state prosecutors said another deputy deployed the Taser’s first cartridge, although officer Crawford delivered the second charge, igniting the fiery explosion.
Officer Crawford escalated the situation and put even more lives in danger with how he approached the situation: ‘There is no need for one man to run, like a cowboy, and tackle someone off a motorcycle filling up with gas. The end result of this was foreseeable from the fact that he walked across that parking lot,’ a state prosecutor said.

Dep David Crawford was cleared of the charges, [photo], in the tasering incident. ‘The jury found Deputy Crawford not guilty of any crime, and we respect the wisdom of the jury’s decision,’ the Osceola County sheriff’s office said

At the end of the trial Crawford was cleared of the charges. His lawyer said, ‘We were convinced from the very beginning that my client was not convinced of these charges. We are very happy with the result we got here today. My client’s relieved. I’m relieved. We are just very happy the jury reached the right conclusion.’
While Crawford was suspended after the incident, his status with the sheriff’s department following his acquittal, remains unclear. The Osceola County Sheriff’s office said, ‘The jury found Deputy Crawford not guilty of any crime, and we respect the wisdom of the jury’s decision.
‘It’s important for the public to know that the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office initiated this criminal investigation against its own employee in the same way we would for any other criminal case against any other defendant.’
Barreto’s attorney Albert Yonfa made it known that he plans to file a civil lawsuit ‘for the reckless, excessive use of force, which was strengthened by the evidence brought forth in this criminal trial.’
At the time of the incident, Sheriff Marcos López said deputies believed Barretto fit a description of a man on a dirt bike who allegedly pointed a gun at a driver, but he was never charged.