Mark NeJame in the News

September 21, 2023 Federal lawsuit filed against Osceola County sheriff, deputies in 2022 Target shooting

Attorneys have officially filed a federal lawsuit against Osceola County’s sheriff and two deputies in connection with the 2022 encounter and shooting outside a Target store in Kissimmee in which one person was killed and two others were hurt. Attorneys Mark NeJame and Albert Yonfa...

September 21, 2023 Attorneys for young men shot by deputies file lawsuit Osceola County sheriff, deputies

The attorneys for the young men shot by Osceola County deputies last year are now taking Sheriff Marcos Lopez and those deputies to federal court. In April 2022, deputies were conducting a training exercise near Target on U.S. 192 in Kissimmee when they were called about a theft at the store...

September 21, 2023 Osceola County Sheriff accused of violating constitution in new lawsuit

Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez is being accused of establishing a violent policing culture. That’s alleged in a lawsuit just filed against him and two sheriff’s deputies after a deadly encounter at a Target last year. The lawsuit is in response to one particular incident, but in it, Sheriff Lopez is accused of fostering an ...

September 21, 2023 Osceola sheriff, deputies face civil rights lawsuit in killing of Jayden Baez

Lawyers for the family of Jayden Baez filed a civil rights lawsuit against Osceola County Sheriff Marcos López and two deputies accused of excessive force in killing the 20-year-old and injuring two others in a Target parking lot last year while trying to apprehend them for suspected shoplifting. The federal lawsuit claimed the deputies who were practicing “dynamic vehicle takedowns” as part of training exercises near...

September 21, 2023 Lawsuit filed against Osceola County sheriff after deadly Target shooting

Surveillance video from the night of an officer-involved shooting at a Target in Kissimmee in April of last year shows what happened before 20-year-old Jayden Baez was shot and killed and three other men with him, Ian Joi, Joseph Lowe, and Michael Gomez were injured. The group is accused of stealing Pokémon cards and a pizza from the store...

September 14, 2023 Kissimmee Target shooting going to grand jury as Bain announces new use-of-force policy

The decision of whether to charge Osceola County deputy sheriffs who shot and killed 19-year-old Jayden Baez in a Target store parking lot in Kissimmee will be made by a grand jury, Orange-Osceola State Attorney Andrew Bain told reporters Thursday. The move is part of a new policy announced by Bain in which uses of force by cops...

September 1, 2023 Worrell confirms she was investigating Osceola deputies before suspension

Suspended State Attorney Monique Worrell confirmed the existence of an investigation into the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office’s handling of several cases, sparked by discrepancies in reports filed after a 2022 shooting that killed a 19-year-old at a Target store parking lot. In remarks published by The Daily Beast on Monday, Worrell said that her investigation was in its final stages...

August 13, 2023 Worrell case shows DeSantis’ true colors

Gov. Ron DeSantis is a genuine threat to America and to our Constitution. These words are neither hyperbole or sensational. They are extreme words which accurately describe an extremist who presents a clear and present danger to Floridians and to our country. The suspension of Orange/Osceola County State Attorney Monique...

August 9, 2023 Monique Worrell's high-profile cases: Family members of victims respond to her ousting by Gov. Desantis

There is a mixed reaction regarding the suspension of State Attorney Monique Worrell, but the mothers of two different victims said they are happy she has been removed from office by Gov. Ron DeSantis...

August 9, 2023 Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspends another Democratic state attorney

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) suspended the Orlando-area state attorney Wednesday, saying she was “clearly and fundamentally derelict” in her duty. DeSantis removed Monique Worrell, a Democrat, from her job as the chief prosecutor for Florida’s Ninth Judicial Circuit Court...

August 2 Victoria Snooks Triece Instagram: A Florida OnlyFans Mom’s Legal Battle

Victoria Snooks Triece Instagram is a captivating space where she fearlessly embraces body positivity. Moreover, she empowers her followers with her unapologetic journey. Victoria Snooks Triece, a 31-year-old mother-of-two from Florida...

July 25, 2023 Seminole County officials discuss concerns about compound in water

The Seminole County Board of Commissioners met Tuesday afternoon to discuss concerns about a compound in the water for an old industrial site in Lake Mary. There are three utilities involved: Seminole County, Lake Mary and Sanford. Despite a potential link between the chemical and cancer, each utility says the water we drink...

June 14, 2023 Woman accuses Orlando-area rapper Tyla Yaweh of sexual battery when she was 15, lawsuit says

Rapper Tyla Yaweh, who grew up in Central Florida, is being accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old more than a decade ago, according to a recently-filed civil lawsuit in Seminole County. The plaintiff, Alyssia Jones, now 26, alleges that the rapper, whose real name is Tyler Jamal Brown, sexually battered her while she was...

May 26, 2023 Florida deputy charged after stun gun turned man covered with fuel into 'human fireball'

A Florida deputy accused of recklessly deploying a stun gun on a man who was covered in gasoline and became "a human fireball" has been charged in the incident at a gas station last year. Osceola County Deputy David Crawford was charged this week with one count of culpable negligence with personal injury, a first-degree ...

May 26, 2023 Charge filed against Osceola deputy suspected of igniting gas-soaked motorcyclist with Taser

An Osceola County sheriff's deputy who used a Taser on a dirt bike rider -- setting him on fire at a gas station last year -- has been charged with a misdemeanor. Deputy David Crawford faces the charge of culpable negligence with personal injury. The Sheriff's Office placed him on administrative leave following...

May 16, 2023 Osceola sheriff, deputies facing lawsuit over deadly Target shooting

In April 2022, deputies in unmarked vehicles participating in a nearby training exercise converged on the car driven by Baez after reports of shoplifting involving about $46 worth of pizza and trading cards. Deputies opened fire as Baez tried to flee, killing Baez and injuring two passengers. Charges against the two passengers...

February 28, 2023 Tied together through tragedy: 2 families of Pine Hills shooting victims meet

The families of two victims killed in a series of shootings in Pine Hills last week met for the first time on Tuesday after hiring the same attorney. Attorney Mark NeJame said relatives of Spectrum News 13 reporter Dylan Lyons and nine-year-old T'yonna Major embraced amid tears. "Saw each other and started crying on each other's...

October 28, 2022 'I miss my boys': Mom of brothers killed in Orange County hotel shooting speaks for first time

An Orlando mother is speaking out for the first time after losing both of her sons to gunfire in separate shootings just minutes apart. Dylan Jimenez was shot after an argument with another man, then shortly after, his older brother Bryan Richardson was shot by a responding Orange County deputy...

October 28, 2022 Mother of son shot, killed by deputy plans to sue Orange County Sheriff’s Office

The mother of the man shot and killed by an Orange County deputy back in August is speaking for the first time. Ada Blaker said she was there when a deputy shot and killed her son, Bryan Richardson. She said Richardson was trying to protect her and her other son, Dylan Jimenez, who had just been shot in...

September 6, 2022 Man arrested in 2 killings, including victim shot by Orange deputy

A man was arrested Saturday on second-degree murder charges in the Aug. 6 killings of two brothers, one of whom was shot by an Orange County deputy. Rafael Roberto Villaverde, 24, was booked into the Orange County Jail and being held there as of Tuesday without bond, records show. The arrest affidavit for Villaverde was not immediately...

September 1, 2022 Florida Deputy Fatally Shoots Armed Man Whose Dying Brother Was Nearby, Video Shows

A Florida deputy sheriff is on paid leave while the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigates his decision to fatally shoot an armed man whose brother was dying nearby. The Orange County deputy sheriff shot and killed Bryan Richardson outside of an Orlando hotel on Aug. 6 as he approached his brother, Dylan Jimenez, who...

August 30, 2022 Family’s attorney speaks out after video shows deputy shoot man to death

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office release video Friday that captured the moment a deputy opened fire, killing 28-year-old Bryan Richardson. Deputies said Richardson, and the man on the ground blurred out in the beginning of the video, 21-year-old Dylan Jimenez, are brothers. Investigators said the two had an altercation with a third man...

August 29, 2022 Video shows Florida deputy fatally shoot armed man whose brother lay dying after hotel altercation

Video released last week shows the moment this month when a Florida deputy fatally shot an armed man, whose brother was nearby and bleeding to death after an altercation at an Orlando hotel. Brothers Dylan Michael Jimenez, 21, and Bryan Matthew Richardson, 28, died after the incident, the Orange County Sheriff’s...

August 26, 2022 Armed brother of shooting victim was fired at 8 times by Orange deputy, video shows

An Orange County deputy sheriff shot eight rounds from close range at a man holding a gun pointed at the ground and his other arm outstretched with his palm facing out, body-worn camera footage released Friday showed. The shots were fired after Bryan Richardson didn’t immediately comply with deputies’ demands to drop the gun...

August 26, 2022 With sold-out ballet benefit, Orlando unites to help Ukraine

Marc McMurrin saw the news of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and wanted to help. So did Alan Ginsburg. So did Sibille Pritchard. So did everyone they asked. The result? A sold-out benefit for Ukraine-supporting charities that already has raised about $400,000. Saturday night, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts will host the National Ballet of Ukraine...

July 15, 2022 Shoplifting charges dropped for teens shot by deputies outside Kissimmee Target

Prosecutors have decided not to bring formal charges against two teens accused of shoplifting from a Target in Kissimmee before being shot by Osceola County deputy sheriffs in the store’s parking lot, an incident that sparked a firestorm of criticism against the Sheriff’s Office. Court records show prosecutors deemed the case...

June 8, 2022 Investigation provides insight into Mount Dora police chief’s sudden resignation

9 Investigates has learned more about why the Mount Dora police chief suddenly resigned last week. Police Chief Brett Meade resigned last week over what he described as differences with the city manager, who wanted an outside investigator to review an incident caught on video showing a Mount Dora police officer, without reading...

May 29, 2022 Experts question Osceola deputies’ arrest tactics before deadly shooting

Questions remain about the decisions Osceola County deputy sheriffs made when they shot and killed Jayden Baez in a Target parking lot, according to two use-of-force experts who reviewed the case for the Orlando Sentinel — one of whom called the shooting “highly problematic.” It’s been a month since Baez was shot as he tried to escape deputies in unmarked vehicles...

May 27, 2022 Deputies killing of Jayden Baez met with outrage at candlelight vigil

The fatal shooting of a 20-year-old man by Osceola County deputies ignited community members to hold a candlelight vigil Friday night, amid heightened scrutiny of the lack of transparency coming from Osceola County Sheriff’s Office and what activists said was a growing reputation of excessive force. Friday evening, a couple dozen community members gathered...

May 24, 2022 Grandmother fatally shoots intruder in Orange County: Is the law on her side?

A 69-year-old grandmother is currently not facing any charges for shooting and killing a stranger she said broke into her home. Virginia Morrison said she confronted the intruder when he tried to break into her home Sunday afternoon and she felt threatened by the suspect, later identified as 38-year-old Ezequiel Rosario-Torres. “I feel bad about it, but...

May 24, 2022 Lawyer for dirt bike rider 'cooked alive' when Florida cop Tasered him at gas station slams the sheriff for deploying 'military-like tactics' and a 'calculated and deceptive' effort to cover up case

The lawyer for a dirt bike rider who was 'cooked alive' after being Tasered by a cop at a gas...

May 24, 2022 Florida sheriff's deputy who tasered man while he pumped gas, setting them both alight and leaving victim covered in third-degree burns

A Florida sheriff deputy who tasered a motorcyclist as he pumped gas during a botched arrest setting them both ablaze and leaving the 26-year-old victim near death with horrific third-degree burns has been charged...

May 23, 2022 Horrifying police video captures moment man was ‘cooked alive’ when tasered at a gas station

Horrifying new body camera footage shows the moment a Florida sheriff deputy tasered a motorcyclist at a gas station and “cooked him alive” from the resulting explosive fire. The footage, released by Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, shows the body camera video of Deputy David Crawford, who moments...

May 22, 2022 Bodycam shows horrific incident that led to suspect being ‘cooked alive’ after being tasered at gas pump

A Florida dirt bike rider was “cooked alive,” according to his lawyer, after a deputy sheriff deployed a taser at a gas station. Both now are set to face charges. Cops got into a scuffle with the man at the Wawa convenience store in the Orlando area where he was apparently refilling his tank. In the the melee, his bike reportedly tipped...

May 21, 2022 Man who was ‘cooked alive’ after being tasered by deputy at gas pump should still face charges, sheriff says. The 26-year-old suffered third-degree burns to 75 per cent of his body, attorneys say

A Florida man could still face charges after he was severely burned when a Florida sheriff’s deputy tasered him at a gas station. Jean Barreto...

May 21, 2022 Florida Man With Burns To 75% Of Body After Taser Shock May Still Face Charges.

The officer who Tased the man will be charged with a misdemeanor, authorities announced this week after an investigation.
A 26-year-old Florida man who was set ablaze when a police officer Tased him earlier this year may still face criminal charges, Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez announced this week...

May 20, 2022 A sheriff’s deputy used a Taser at a gas station and set a man on fire

A Florida sheriff’s deputy is facing a criminal charge after using a Taser near gasoline, igniting a fire that severely burned a 26-year-old suspect and injured the deputy himself and two fellow officers. Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez said during a news conference Thursday that Deputy David Crawford has been placed on paid leave during an internal investigation..

May 20, 2022 Sheriff says a Florida deputy deployed a Taser near a gas spill. A suspect was 'cooked alive,' according to his lawyer.

A Florida deputy has been charged with a misdemeanor after he started a fire, injured a suspect and also hurt himself when he deployed a stun gun near a gas spill, according to law enforcement. Deputy David Crawford was placed on paid leave and charged with culpable...

May 19, 2022 Osceola deputy to be charged in Wawa Taser fire that gave man third-degree burns

Two people will be charged after a taser deployed during an attempted arrest at an Osceola County Wawa where a massive fireball ignited and burned a suspect and deputy. Surveillance video from the Wawa at John Young and Central Florida Parkway on Feb. 27 shows the flames that engulfed the suspect, 26-year-old Jean Baretto, and...

May 19, 2022 Florida man 'cooked alive' after deputy's stun gun ignites gasoline at Wawa station, lawyers say

Lawyers for a Florida man say he continues to fight for his life after he was “cooked alive” earlier this year, when a sheriff’s deputy is alleged to have shot him with a stun gun while the man was covered in gasoline from having fueled his dirt bike. Jean Barreto, 26, suffered third-degree burns over 75 percent of his body...

May 18, 2022 A Florida officer is charged after a botched arrest resulted in an explosion that left a suspect with burns over much of his body

A Florida deputy and a suspect are facing charges in relation to a botched arrest earlier this year in which an explosion allegedly set off by a Taser left the suspect with burns over much of his body, Osceola County officials announced Thursday...

May 18 Attorney: Florida deputy's Taser ignited fire at gas station during arrest of motorcyclist

Earlier this year, surveillance video was released that showed the end of an apparent pursuit between a motorcycle rider and Osceola County deputies at a Wawa gas station in Florida, where a fire erupted shortly after. The 26-year-old motorcycle rider, later identified as Jean Barretto, was seriously burned, suffering third-degree...

May 18, 2022 Questions raised in Osceola deputy confrontation that left man severely burned

Spectrum News 13 is digging deeper into the use of force by the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office during a confrontation involving deputies and a man at an Orange County gas station in February 2022. For months, we’ve been requesting information surrounding the incident at an Orange County Wawa where a suspect and three deputies were burned during the incident...

May 18, 2022 ‘What are they hiding?’: Lawyers demand outside probes into Wawa fire caused by Osceola deputy’s Taser

Lawyers representing a man severely burned in a fire at a Wawa in February while being arrested by Osceola County deputy sheriffs called on the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate, after state authorities found the deputy’s Taser...

May 10, 2022 Sheriff Blames Pokemon ‘Thieves’ for Fatal Police Shooting

After what began as a minor shoplifting incident involving Pokemon cards nearly two weeks ago ended in a police shooting that killed one young Hispanic man and maimed and disfigured two teens, lawyers for those teens accused an embattled Florida sheriff on Tuesday of blaming the victims for his officers’ fatal actions...

May 10, 2022 Lawyers dispute Osceola Sheriff’s account of deadly shooting

The attorney representing the people shot by Osceola County deputies outside a Kissimmee Target said Sheriff Marcos Lopez is distorting facts in the case where a young man lost his life. Lawyer Mark NeJame alleges the deputies' policing escalated the situation...

May 10, 2022 Attorneys for men shot by deputies say video counters Osceola sheriff’s claims

A second-by-second video review of the moments before Osceola County deputies killed 20-year-old Jayden Baez and wounded in Sheriff Marcos López’s retelling of what happened, lawyers representing the men said Tuesday...

May 10, 2022 Florida sheriff releases video of deadly Target parking lot deputy-involved shooting of suspected shoplifters

A Florida sheriff on Monday released surveillance footage of the moments leading up to deputies shooting and killing the accused getaway driver of suspected shoplifters in a Target parking nearly two weeks ago, showing how the now deceased young man rammed his car into department vehicles...

May 10, 2022 Osceola County Sheriff's Office provide justification for executing man at Kissimmee Target over stolen Pokemon cards

After a week of stonewalling, the Osceola County Sheriff's Office finally saw fit to release some information about their deadly shooting of a 20-year-old Jayden Baez...

May 9, 2022 Osceola sheriff releases reports, video in fatal shooting by deputies outside Target

After more than a week of refusing to provide basic details about the case, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office on Monday released incident reports as well as video from the night 20-year-old Jayden Baez was shot to death by deputies outside a Kissimmee-area Target...

May 4, 2022 Osceola deputies used shoplifting suspects as ‘human guinea pigs’ before shooting, lawyers say

Osceola County deputy sheriffs fired at a car leaving the parking lot of a Target store in Kissimmee, killing 20-year-old Jayden Baez, after they boxed in and struck his black Audi with unmarked vehicles without announcing they were law enforcement, lawyers representing Baez’s family told reporters...

May 4, 2022 Family of teen fatally shot by deputies outside a Kissimmee Target files lawsuit

Attorneys for the family of Jayden Baez, 20, who was shot and killed by Osceola County deputies outside a Target in Kissimmee last week, are filing a lawsuit against the sheriff's office after new allegations have emerged. The initial arrest report shows that Osceola County deputies responded to the store on a shoplifting call...

February 10, 2022 Apopka police body cam footage to be included in use of force lawsuit

Late November 2019, Apopka cops are called to a well-being check. Jason Friend was playing music in his car in his driveway. Police say he was unresponsive to what they were asking him to do. Just released body cam footage shows the incident getting physical as the officers take Friend out of his car. They tell him to stop what he's doing and eventually tase him....

February 10, 2022 Man suing Apopka after violent 2019 arrest speaks out as lawyers release body camera footage

Before Apopka police officers violently arrested Jason Friend outside of his home the night before Thanksgiving 2019, they spoke to his neighbor, who called them because Friend was loudly listening to his music in his car while parked in the driveway in front of his home. “I know him. He’s a very nice guy. He’s a former New Jersey cop...

Oct 08, 2020 1 million face masks donated to returning citizens for Election Day

Attorney, Florida Rights Restoration Coalition want to ensure former felons have tools to vote Published on October 8, 2020 - WKMG ...

Jun 12, 2020 Sanctum Cafe co-owner says she’s divorcing husband, as harassment accusers hire attorney NeJame

Facing a firestorm of sexual harassment allegations against her husband and business partner, the co-owner of the Sanctum Cafe and ...

Jun 05, 2020 Val Demings’ Orlando police career could hurt — or help — her chances to become Joe Biden’s running mate

FILE -- Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.), who served as one of the House impeachment managers in the Senate trial of President Donald ...

Jun 26, 2019 Uber makes checking rider’s age a driver’s job. After 12-year-old girl’s suicide, some don’t want that responsibility

“I was surprised at how easily I got into the Uber,” 12-year-old Benita Diamond typed as she rode in the backseat of a Toyota ...