ORLANDO, Fla. – Early in the morning on Nov. 15, 2019, Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy Nicholas Orrizzi can be seen in dash camera video waiting to turn onto Red Bug Lake Road.
He appears to look both ways before pulling forward and hitting a motorcycle ridden by Sean Hurley, who was thrown into the median of the road.
First responders transported Hurley to a local hospital, where he was treated for several broken bones.
“(The video) is bad every time you watch it,” said Hurley’s attorney Ryan Rudd, of Morgan & Morgan.
As a result, Rudd said Hurley now has one leg shorter than the other, and he is still relearning how to walk.
“He was only 26 at the time the crash happened,” Rudd said. “He had his whole life ahead of him.”
News 6 obtained Orrizzi’s discipline records from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
It showed he was suspended for six days after an internal investigation of the crash.
Records also show Orrizzi was involved in another crash two months later, which sheriff’s investigators determined was “avoidable” and “major.”
He was suspended for eight additional days as a result of that crash.
He is still working with the agency.
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LEGAL PAYOUTS
News 6 combed through legal judgments and settlements paid out over the last seven years by sheriff’s offices across Central Florida.
Combined, those agencies paid out $8.3 million.
| SHERIFF’S OFFICE | LEGAL PAYOUTS (2016-2023) |
|---|---|
| Orange County Sheriff’s Office | $3.4 million |
| Osceola County Sheriff’s Office | $1.7 million |
| Lake County Sheriff’s Office | $1.4 million |
| Marion County Sheriff’s Office | $549,000 |
| Seminole County Sheriff’s Office | $421,300 |
| Brevard County Sheriff’s Office | $399,000 |
| Flagler County Sheriff’s Office | no responsive records |
| Sumter County Sheriff’s Office | no responsive records |
| Volusia County Sheriff’s Office | awaiting records |
That money helped settle claims related to patrol car crashes, excessive force claims, false arrests and more.
Most – if not all – was paid by the Florida Sheriff’s Association Risk Management Fund.
According to the FSA’s website, the fund was created by sheriffs, and it is owned by sheriffs.
The fund amounts to an insurance policy for sheriff’s offices for issues, such as lawsuits and legal challenges, and it is funded through investments.
LARGE PAYOUTS
The total amount paid by Orange County Sheriff’s Office could change soon after a jury awarded Hurley $20 million for his injuries.
“I thought it should have been more,” Rudd said.
There is a catch, though.
Florida state law limits judgements against government agencies to $200,000.
The only way around that is to submit a Claims Bill to the Florida Legislature and the governor asking them for an exception.
News 6 checked and eight Claims Bills seeking large legal judgements were approved during the last legislative session, totaling more than $20 million.
Due to deadlines, Rudd said it could be two more years before a Claims Bill for Hurley’s case is voted on in Tallahassee.
“I hope this sends a message that government entities, and particularly law enforcement, are held to the same standard and same consequences that you and I are held to,” Rudd said. “That is what they should be held to, but they’re not.”
The spokesperson for the Orange County Sheriff’s Office told News 6 they plan to appeal the jury’s verdict in Hurley’s case and according to court records, the agency has also asked for a new trial.
“Law enforcement is a high-liability profession. At the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, we provide training to our personnel in order to minimize that high-liability exposure,” the agency wrote in a statement to News 6. “Beyond that, we have an insurance company that manages any litigation – from selecting the attorneys to developing litigation strategy to making settlement decisions.”
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