A prominent lawyer for an illegal immigrant from Guatemala blamed Florida police after his client’s charges of manslaughter of a police agent were dismissed.
Virgilio Aguilar Mendez, 19, was charged with aggravated manslaughter of a police officer after a scuffle involving several people. law enforcement officer He will retire as a sergeant in May 2023. Michael Kunovich of the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office has died.
Charges against Aguilar Mendez were dropped Friday, but the boy remains in federal custody in Florida and could be deported.
“Recent expert testimony regarding the defendant’s inability to understand English, cultural background, and concerns about intellectual capacity raise important issues to consider in this case,” the 7th District State Attorney’s Office said in a statement. I did,” he said. “Furthermore, based on the court’s recent ruling that defendant lacks the capacity to proceed based on expert testimony, dismissal of the charges is appropriate. Arrest and time served are sufficient.”
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Defense attorney Jose Baez joined Aguilar Mendez’s defense. (Media News Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)
Following the verdict, Aguilar Mendez’s attorney Jose Baez accused the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office of “concocting a false story” that the boy “did not follow instructions.”
Baez said Aguilar Mendez primarily speaks Mam, a Guatemalan language, and is not fluent in English.
“It’s a culture that starts and ends with the sheriff,” Baez said. “The sheriff created this false narrative that this young man who joined the company at 17 years old was the one who didn’t follow directions, and then doubled down and tripled. Not only that,” he said. Coach Aguilar Mendez fired.
“He said if he had followed the instructions, Kunovich would still be alive,” Baez said. “I would like to see him someday follow orders given to him by Mama or in Spanish, but I guarantee he won’t. Then Vergilio Aguilar Mendez uses a knife knowing it’s a lie. I insist I meant it,” Baez said. .
Sergeant Michael Kunovich was a 25-year veteran of the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. (St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office / Facebook)
The firing came nine months after Kunovich, 52, collapsed in “medical distress” during an encounter with then-18-year-old Aguilar Mendez. The police officer later died.
According to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, Kunovich initially approached Aguilar-Mendez around 9 p.m. on May 19, suspecting a crime. Aguilar Mendez then continued to walk away from the deputy.
“Aguilar Mendez was walking on a public sidewalk and talking to his mother. It’s not a crime.” The complaint states: “When Sergeant Knovich grabbed Aguilar Mendez, he stopped and made no attempt to run away.”
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Officers pursued Aguilar Mendez, who apologized in English, then continued to resist arrest.
The immigrant became confused and allegedly told the deputy, “I’m sorry, I can’t speak, I don’t speak English.”
Sheriff Robert Hardwick said at the time that other deputies, including a Spanish-speaking deputy, responded to the scene and eventually witnessed officers taping the immigrant and slamming him to the ground.
The sheriff’s office said deputies attempted to detain Aguilar Mendez, who was resisting arrest.
“During the ground combat, the suspect attempted to take Sergeant Knovich’s Taser and continued to violently resist for approximately 6 minutes and 19 seconds,” Hardwick said.
Deputies then handcuffed the migrant, who managed to obtain a small pocket knife. Authorities have not said whether the migrants tried to use a weapon.
“Sergeant Knovich collapsed shortly after the subject was disarmed, and relentless life-saving efforts were initiated by St. Johns County Fire Rescue and Flagler Health Plus personnel. He was eventually taken to Flagler Hospital. He was pronounced dead shortly after being taken to the hospital,” the statement continued.
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Baez claims his client was confused and “couldn’t understand police brutality.”
The scuffle was recorded on the officers’ body cameras, and lawyers say the video is evidence that the immigrants do not understand or speak English.
“Without a doubt, Aguilar-Mendez did not understand the purpose or reason why the officers piled on top of him and physically struck him multiple times, and why Sergeant Knovich repeatedly used the Taser on him.” Baez said.
Attorney Jose Baez entered the Duval County Courthouse in Jacksonville, Florida, in November. (Larry Paci, Fox News Digital)
Baez’s lawsuit claims that another responding deputy, Lt. Jose Jimenez, did not inform Aguilar Mendez about him. miranda rightsor try to arrange an interpreter for him.
The complaint states that the attorneys “knew that without interpreter assistance to Mam, there was a substantial possibility that Aguilar-Mendez would not be able to communicate effectively, and that Aguilar-Mendez’s statutory rights and limited “Disregarded SJCSO policy regarding English proficiency.”
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Mr. Kunovich is a 25-year veteran of the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and Sheriff Hardwick described him as a “valuable member of the St. Johns County Board of Governors who has passionately dedicated his career to keeping our communities safe.” ”
The St. John’s Sheriff’s Office and Jose Baez could not be reached for comment.
FOX News’ Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.
