Florida SB 16: Relief of Heriberto A. Sanchez-Mayen by the City of St. Petersburg

Bill Text

16 
Relief of Heriberto A. Sanchez-Mayen by the City of St. Petersburg 
2025-08-01T12:18:26Z 
Providing for the relief of Heriberto A. Sanchez-Mayen by the City of St. Petersburg; providing for an appropriation to compensate Mr. Sanchez-Mayen for injuries sustained as a result of the negligence of the City of St. Petersburg; providing a limitation on compensation and the payment of attorney fees, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
LCB 
Claim Bill/Local 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 (NP) SB 16 

 By Senator Rouson 

 16-00065A-26 202616__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act for the relief of Heriberto A. Sanchez-Mayen by 
 3 the City of St. Petersburg; providing for an 
 4 appropriation to compensate Mr. Sanchez-Mayen for 
 5 injuries sustained as a result of the negligence of 
 6 the City of St. Petersburg; providing a limitation on 
 7 compensation and the payment of attorney fees; 
 8 providing an effective date. 
 9 
 10 WHEREAS, on June 8, 2023, Heriberto A. Sanchez-Mayen, a 
 11 resident of St. Petersburg, Florida, was found asleep on a piece 
 12 of cardboard just after 10 a.m. in a daytime-only designated 
 13 park by a St. Petersburg police officer, and 
 14 WHEREAS, although Mr. Sanchez-Mayen was lawfully present on 
 15 the property at this time of day, a St. Petersburg police 
 16 officer arrested him for trespassing and called the prisoner 
 17 transport van, and 
 18 WHEREAS, the transport officer handcuffed Mr. Sanchez-Mayen 
 19 and attached a metal belly chain, which restricted the use of 
 20 his arms, and placed him unsecured, without a seatbelt or other 
 21 stationary tethering, on a metal bench in the back of a metal 
 22 transport van, and 
 23 WHEREAS, while en route to the Pinellas County Jail, the 
 24 transport officer, who had not engaged the van’s interior video 
 25 camera showing Mr. Sanchez-Mayen, stopped short for a red light, 
 26 causing Mr. Sanchez-Mayen, who had no ability to brace or 
 27 protect himself because he was restrained, to be thrown head 
 28 first from the back of the van into the bulkhead, where he laid 
 29 motionless. This was ultimately captured on the van’s interior 
 30 video camera, and 
 31 WHEREAS, instead of immediately seeking medical treatment 
 32 for Mr. Sanchez-Mayen, the transport officer continued to drive 
 33 to the jail where, upon arrival, Mr. Sanchez-Mayen was still 
 34 motionless and unresponsive on the metal floor of the van, and 
 35 WHEREAS, the transport officer proceeded to remove Mr. 
 36 Sanchez-Mayen’s body from the van by dragging him by his feet, 
 37 causing his head to strike the rear bumper, the rear door, and 
 38 the cement floor, and 
 39 WHEREAS, Mr. Sanchez-Mayen was taken to a local hospital 
 40 for approximately 12 hours before being transported to Tampa 
 41 General Hospital, where doctors determined that Mr. Sanchez 
 42 Mayen had sustained catastrophic injuries, including a closed 
 43 displaced fracture of the third cervical vertebra, a closed 
 44 odontoid fracture, dissection of the descending thoracic aorta, 
 45 and spinal cord compression, which ultimately led to amputation 
 46 of both of his legs above the knees, rendering him an incomplete 
 47 quadriplegic, and 
 48 WHEREAS, as a result of the injuries sustained during 
 49 transport, Mr. Sanchez-Mayen requires supervised medical care, 
 50 home health care, and other services and support for the rest of 
 51 his life, and 
 52 WHEREAS, on March 18, 2024, Mr. Sanchez-Mayen brought suit 
 53 against the City of St. Petersburg and two individual St. 
 54 Petersburg police officers in the United States District Court 
 55 for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division, under case 
 56 number 8:24-CV—00690-WFJ-TGW, and 
 57 WHEREAS, on March 12, 2025, Mr. Sanchez-Mayen and the City 
 58 of St. Petersburg entered into a settlement agreement for $2.5 
 59 million, and 
 60 WHEREAS, in accordance with s. 768.28, Florida Statutes, 
 61 the City of St. Petersburg paid $200,000 to the trust account of 
 62 Mr. Sanchez-Mayen’s lawyer, and 
 63 WHEREAS, Mr. Sanchez-Mayen remains liable for both Florida 
 64 and Pennsylvania Medicaid liens, and 
 65 WHEREAS, the settlement agreement provides for the entry of 
 66 a consent judgment for the remaining amount of $2.3 million and 
 67 cooperation by the City of St. Petersburg in not opposing this 
 68 claim bill, NOW, THEREFORE, 
 69 
 70 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 71 
 72 Section 1. The facts stated in the preamble to this act are 
 73 found and declared to be true. 
 74 Section 2. The City of St. Petersburg is directed to draw a 
 75 warrant in the sum of $2.3 million payable to Heriberto A. 
 76 Sanchez-Mayen as compensation for injuries and damages 
 77 sustained. 
 78 Section 3. The amount paid by the City of St. Petersburg 
 79 pursuant to s. 768.28, Florida Statutes, and the amount awarded 
 80 under this act are intended to provide the sole compensation for 
 81 all pres