Today we stand together with @SJSOPIO @SJCFireRescue @JSOPIO as brothers in blue to honor LODD of Sgt Michael Kunovich as his body was transferred to Hardage-Giddens funeral home. pic.twitter.com/dUeqMOwIyW
— THEJFRD (@THEJFRD) May 22, 2023
UPDATE 12/16/2023
Seven months after a six-minute struggle and disarmament, an illegal migrant faces manslaughter charges after the deputy who arrested him had a fatal heart attack during the May incident.
According to Action Jax, Vergillo Aguillar-Mendez has retained a civil attorney and is standing by his innocence. the attorney says Sergeant Michael Kunovich illegally stopped him and became physical after Aguillar-Mendez couldn’t understand his commands.
Kunovich’s family has been seeking justice in the form of a manslaughter conviction for their loss.
Aguilla-Mendez crossed into the U.S. via the southern border, was detained in a federal facility, and released to his family in Orlando. He says he was in St. Augustine working on a farm to send money back to his family.
The competing sides will clash in court in 2024.
Original:
Mark Price
The Charlotte Observer
A North Florida sheriff’s deputy collapsed and died after struggling for more than 6 minutes to take a teen suspect into custody, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office.
It happened around 9 p.m. on Friday, May 19, west of St. Augustine, and the deputy was identified as Sgt. Michael Kunovich, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
The sheriff’s office has not released a cause of death, but the Officer Down Memorial Page reports the deputy suffered a heart attack.
Vergilio Aguilar-Mendez, 18, faces a murder charge in connection with Kunovich’s death, officials say.
“Kunovich made contact with a suspect he observed sitting in the dark outside a closed business near the 2500 block of (State Road) 16. He attempted a pat down to check for weapons and the suspect pulled away and attempted to flee,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
“Additional deputies arrived and the suspect continued to resist. While fighting on the ground, the subject attempted to grab Sergeant Kunovich’s taser and continued to violently resist for approximately 6 minutes and 19 seconds. After he was handcuffed, the subject armed himself with a pocket knife, which was forcefully removed by deputies.”
“Moments after the suspect was disarmed,” Kunovich showed signs of “medical distress” and collapsed, officials said.
Life-saving measures were attempted by the St. Johns County Fire Rescue and Flagler Health+ emergency medical personnel, but Kunovich was pronounced dead at a hospital, officials said.
He was a father of two and served with the sheriff’s office 25 years, including 5 years on the SWAT Team.
Aguilar-Mendez has been charged with resisting arrest with violence and felony murder, officials said. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has also placed a detainer on him, which is done in cases in which suspects are believed to be “removable non-citizens.” He is being held without bond, jail records show.
St. Augustine is about 40 miles south of Jacksonville.
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