An illegal alien and a sergeant with the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office in Florida was charged in connection with the incident. He said Michael Kunovich's death was a violation of his “constitutional rights” and that he was the victim of police brutality and racial profiling.
As reported by Breitbart News, Virgilio Aguilar Mendez, a 19-year-old illegal alien from Guatemala, was arrested in May 2023 and charged with resisting an officer with violence and manslaughter in connection with Kunovic's death. It was done.
Philippe Arroyo, Aguilar Mendez's attorney, said: Said First Coast News has threatened to file a federal lawsuit if the St. Johns County prosecutor does not drop the charges against his client.
“Mr. Virgilio was a victim of police brutality. He was a victim of racial profiling,” Arroyo said. “He was the victim of a violation of his Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment rights. Those responsible for this abuse will be held accountable.”
Arroyo also called the charges against Aguilar Mendez “some of the greatest injustices I've ever seen” in the court system, calling them a “grave injustice” and “disappointing.”
The threat of a federal lawsuit comes after a local judge recently ruled Aguilar Mendez incompetent to stand trial and ordered him to receive qualifying treatment while in St. Johns County custody.
According to police, on May 19, Kunovich legally attempted to pat down Aguilar Mendez as she sat outside a closed store. Instead of complying, Aguilar-Mendez tried to run away from Kunovich. Aguilar Mendez continued to resist when other officers got involved.
Kunovich eventually fell to the ground and struggled with Aguilar Mendez, who tried to wrest the officer's Taser from his body. The struggle lasted more than six minutes. Aguilar-Mendez was then handcuffed and he pulled out a pocket knife, which was quickly taken away from him.
After a struggle with Aguilar-Mendez, Kunovich fell to the ground. Paramedics performed life-saving measures, but he was pronounced dead after being transported to a nearby hospital.
Aguilar Mendez is an illegal immigrant from Guatemala. He arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border last year and was later released into the United States. Aguilar Mendez worked on a farm and sent money back to Guatemala, his lawyer said.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Please email jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.
