Romanucci & Blandin and The Pendas Law Firm file civil lawsuit for “despicable” use of force by Osceola County Deputies that severely burned a young man who had been suspected of traffic violations

Osceola deputies tased a motorbike rider while they pinned him down in a pool of gasoline, causing life-altering and disfiguring burns

CHICAGO AND ORLANDO (January 23, 2025) – Jean Barreto was a healthy young man who was riding his motorbike on February 27, 2022, in Osceola County, Florida. But Jean never made it home. Instead, he ended the day in an intensive care unit with life-altering second and third-degree burns after being confronted by law enforcement. Jean stopped to get gas at a Wawa gas station in Orlando, however, Osceola County Sheriff’s deputies, who had been using a Sheriff department helicopter to track him, tackled him. As gasoline poured out of the tank of his overturned motorcycle and pooled around his body, multiple deputies, who had already pinned Jean to the ground, began tasing him. The tasers ignited the gasoline, which exploded into flames and engulfed Jean, burning over 75% of his body.  Jean was unarmed. The crime he was suspected of committing was reckless driving.

National trial firm Romanucci & Blandin, LLC in Chicago and The Pendas Law Firm in Orlando together announce the filing of a civil lawsuit against the Osceola County Sheriff’s Department, Sheriff Marcos R. Lopez and four deputies for what lawyers say was a despicable and wholly unnecessary use of force for a suspected traffic violation.

Jean spent a year in intensive care, frequently at the edge of death.  During part of that time, he had to be put into a medically induced coma after his body rejected skin grafts from cadavers. Today, Jean’s life is entirely changed, as this completely unnecessary use of force has altered and disfigured him permanently.

The lawsuit charges that the driving force behind Jean’s burning - and the deputies’ wholly inappropriate use of force - was a culture within the Osceola County Sheriff’s Department that prized spectacular, punitive uses of force even for minor offenses.  That culture was fostered by Osceola County Sheriff Marcos R. Lopez, who had previously published publicity videos in which he pledged Osceola Sheriff Deputies would “chase down” and throw motorbike riders in jail for popping wheelies and not having proper tags on their bikes, all of which are minor traffic offenses. The lawsuit alleges that this culture of sanctioning excessive force encouraged the deputies who pursued Jean to escalate the encounter with the plaintiff that day. 

Romanucci & Blandin Founding Partner Antonio M. Romanucci, Partner Bhavani K. Raveendran, Senior Attorney Stephen H. Weil together with Attorneys Lou Pendas and Albert J. Yonfa Jr. of The Pendas Law Firm in Orlando represent the plaintiff. The lawsuit demands a jury trial.

The lawsuit was filed on January 22, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. The plaintiff is Jean Barreto.  It alleges violations of his Fourth Amendment rights, assault and battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The defendants are Osceola County, Sheriff Marcos R. Lopez, and Deputies David Crawford, Christopher Koffinas, Joseph DeJesus, Arturo Dominguez, and Benjamin Maclean.

Counts in the Complaint include:

• COUNT I—42 U.S.C. § 1983—Fourth Amendment - Defendant Crawford
• COUNT II—State Law Assault and Battery - Defendant Crawford
• COUNT III—State Law Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress - Defendant Crawford
• COUNT IV—42 U.S.C. § 1983—Fourth Amendment - Defendant Koffinas
• COUNT V—42 U.S.C. § 1983—Fourth Amendment - Defendant DeJesus
• COUNT VI—42 U.S.C. § 1983—Fourth Amendment - Defendant Dominguez
  COUNT VII—42 U.S.C. § 1983—Fourth Amendment - Defendant Maclean
• COUNT VIII—42 U.S.C. § 1983 - Defendant Lopez (in his individual capacity)
• COUNT X—42 U.S.C. § 1983 - Oceola County and Sheriff Lopez (in his official capacity)
• COUNT XI—State law—Respondeat Superior - Oceola County
• COUNT XII—Indemnification - Osceola County

“The conduct and decision-making of the Osceola County Deputies when they encountered Jean Barreto was despicable, yet it was also an unmistakable reflection of their training and direction from Sheriff Marcos Lopez. The culture of this department emboldened deputies to use excessive and unreasonable force, emphasized machismo over reasonable policing and ultimately put the public at risk instead of protecting and serving members of the community,” said Romanucci & Blandin Founding Partner Antonio M. Romanucci.

“The few minutes our client was face-to-face with Osceola County Deputies deeply damaged him and changed the trajectory of his life forever. The physical injuries and burns have caused him excruciating pain and the emotional trauma did equal and immeasurable harm. Jean Barreto was unarmed and was suspected of traffic violations. We will fight fiercely for our client to get accountability for how he was treated,” said Romanucci & Blandin Senior Attorney Stephen H. Weil.

“The Osceola County Sheriff’s Department has simply gone too far in trying to address a local traffic issue and has endangered members of our community by encouraging officers to use disproportional and excessive force when dealing with motorbike riders. These policies and practices need to stop immediately,” said Attorney Albert J. Yonfa Jr. of The Pendas Law Firm.

“It is impossible to explain the man I am today compared to the person who was riding a motorbike that day. Riding was my hobby. This has changed my life, my work and my relationships and I struggle to see what the future looks like for me. I feel very alone, and I am in constant physical pain. Everything changed that day. I relive that nightmare every single day," said Plaintiff Jean Barreto.

About Romanucci & Blandin, LLC

Romanucci & Blandin is a Chicago-based national trial practice committed to fighting for victims of negligence, abuse and wrongful death. For 25 years, we have secured more than $850 million in verdicts and settlements for our clients - many for millions of dollars and others record-setting awards.  Our experience ranges from mass shootings, civil rights and police misconduct to medical malpractice, sexual abuse, motor vehicle accidents or workplace injury cases involving individual or institutional negligence. Romanucci & Blandin is a valuable legal resource to individuals and groups of people who have been injured by others’ wrongdoing. Referring attorneys and clients say several factors differentiate our firm: Our record of success, depth of experience, talented and dedicated legal team, tireless preparation and strategic use of communications to fight for the rights of those whose lives have been changed forever. We are different from other personal injury firms in that our work does not stop when a verdict or settlement is secured.  We are often inspired by our clients’ experiences and commit resources to create change in our communities. For more information about Romanucci & Blandin, please visit https://www.rblaw.net/ or call (312) 458-1000.