ORLANDO, Fla. — An Osceola County deputy was charged in a February 2022 incident during which a man was burned in an explosion at a Wawa store in Orange County, Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Monique Worrell said Thursday.
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Deputy David Crawford was charged with culpable negligence with personal injury after prosecutors said a pursuit ended with an explosion that caused significant injuries to the victim Crawford was trying to detain.
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“On Feb. 27, deputies crossed county lines pursing the victim who had been accused of violating traffic laws as he ‘popped wheelies’ in traffic while on his dirt bike,” Worrell’s office said in a news release. “Deputies followed the victim into a Wawa gas station, where they confronted him at a gas pump.”
Read: Intense body-cam video shows the moment Osceola County deputy’s Taser sparked gas-station fire
Prosecutors said Crawford tackled the man while other deputies helped in apprehending him for the traffic violation and a struggle ensued.
“Deputy Crawford recklessly deployed a Taser at the victim, who had become soaked in gasoline, and as a result, caused the explosion that injured the victim,” Worrell’s office said. “The victim in the case has suffered second- and third-degree burns across at least 75% of his body, injuries he is still recovering from.”
Read: Osceola County sheriff gives details on gas station fire that severely burned man
The misdemeanor charge can carry a punishment of one year in jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000 if there is a conviction, prosecutors said.
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