An illegal immigrant from Guatemala accused of being involved in the death of Florida State Police Sgt. has been released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.
Virgilio Aguilar Mendez, 19, was charged in connection with the death of St. Johns County Sgt. Michael Kunovich.
The incident occurred around 9 p.m. on May 19, when Kunovich approached Mendez for “suspicious behavior” outside a closed restaurant in St. Augustine. according to Until the arrest report.
“Aguilar Mendez was walking on a public sidewalk and talking to his mother, which is not a crime,” the lawsuit says. read. “When Sergeant Kunovich grabbed Aguilar Mendez, he stopped and made no attempt to run away.”
Police body camera footage shows Kunovich asking the boy for identification, but Mendez does not speak English.
Body camera video shows Mendez resisting Kunovich’s attempts to slam him. Police said the boy was carrying a small pocket knife at the time of the collision.
A struggle ensued, and the deputy fired a taping gun at Mendez, throwing the boy onto the lawn.
Police took Mr. Mendez into custody.
However, Kunovich suffered a medical emergency during the encounter and fell to the ground. The Florida State Police sergeant was taken to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Mendez was charged with aggravated manslaughter of a police officer in Kunovich’s sudden death.
However, prosecutors withdrew criminal charges against the illegal immigrant after Kunovich’s autopsy showed that the 52-year-old police officer suffered from arrhythmia and died of natural causes. The coroner said the cause of death may have been severe heart disease, a previous heart attack, or heart and lung deterioration from smoking.
The defense also argued that Mendez was incompetent to stand trial.
Published by the 7th District State Attorney’s Office. statement“Recent expert testimony regarding defendant’s inability to understand English, cultural background, and concerns about intellectual capacity raises important issues for consideration in this case.”
Jose Baez, Mendez’s criminal defense attorney, accused the officers of racial profiling and “unlawful arrest.”
St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick said in a statement earlier this month that “there were some attempts to paint Aguilar Mendez as a victim and to smear Sergeant Knovich. “We continue to support Sergeant Kunovich’s actions on the night of the 19th.” “The risks associated with law enforcement are risks we assume when entering this profession. Sergeant Knovich died as a hero protecting the residents of St. Johns County, and nothing could be more honorable. Please keep our agency and the family of Sergeant Knovich in your thoughts and prayers. ”
first coast news “According to the incident report, Mendez told police that he was a migrant worker from Guatemala who had previously been detained by immigration authorities for six months.”
Kunovich was a 25-year veteran of the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office.
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