While pumping gas in Osceola County, Florida, 26-year-old Jean Barretto was “cooked alive” after a deputy from the sheriff’s office tased him, causing an explosive fire, his lawyers say. A press release from the legal team said Barretto “sustained third-degree burns on approximately 75% of his body ... He is wrapped and unwrapped in gauze daily.” A State Fire Marshal report confirmed that the taser caused the gas station fire, according to the release. In a video obtained by the Orlando Sentinel, Barretto, who had reportedly been going home after county deputies dispersed a group of motor bike enthusiasts, can be seen pumping gas when a sheriff’s deputy tackles him. A deputy deployed a taser as Barretto was on the ground, an act that his attorneys called “reckless, foolish, unnecessary and deadly.” Barretto’s attorneys have criticized the sheriff’s department for failing to turn over body camera footage and incident reports, and are asking that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement take over the case.
