In a growth surrounding the loss of life of St. Johns County Sergeant Michael Kunovich, new particulars have emerged from a just lately launched police report. The report, spanning over 44 pages, discloses the reason for loss of life and supplies insights into an interview with the suspect carried out by deputies.
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Sergeant Kunovich’s explanation for loss of life was revealed as cardiac dysrhythmia, in line with the report. The doc not solely outlines the specifics of what occurred within the physique digital camera footage but in addition the actions of different deputies on the night time of the incident.
READ: Newly released video shows arrest before St. Johns County deputy’s death
Preliminary suspicions of fentanyl publicity, resulting in the administration of Narcan, are addressed within the report, which unveils the particular explanation for loss of life. One deputy is quoted within the report expressing the idea that Sgt. Kunovich would nonetheless be alive if the incident had not occurred.
On Might 19 of this yr, Sgt. Kunovich engaged in a wrestle with Vergilio Aguliar Mendez after trying to arrest him, ensuing within the sergeant’s loss of life.
A brand new report from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Workplace reveals that health workers attributed Sgt. Kunovich’s loss of life from cardiac dysrhythmia was attributable to bodily and emotional stress throughout the arrest try. The report classifies the loss of life as pure.
A number of deputies interviewed for the report talked about Sgt. Kunovich reported respiratory points and the opportunity of bronchitis.
On the time of this story, Aguilar Mendez faces expenses of Aggravated Manslaughter and Resisting with Violence. Protection attorneys assert that he doesn’t converse English and didn’t commit a criminal offense.
Motion Information Jax Legislation and Security Knowledgeable, Dale Carson, weighed in on the state of affairs, stating, “By himself, the officer encountered somebody he considers suspicious. He’s made an inquiry, he’s not getting straight solutions, and the result’s when he asks a couple of weapon. The person reaches for one thing in his pockets. These are earmarks for one thing unhealthy occurring.”
Associated Story: Veteran St. Johns County Sgt. Michael Kunovich to be laid to rest
Deputies reported that Aguilar Mendez had a knife on his particular person, which he claimed was used for work on his farm. After his arrest, he allegedly expressed concern and a need to remain in the US relatively than return to Guatemala.
Carson argued, “Should you may argue the person didn’t know why he was being stopped, he lives there, he was simply in a restaurant, and people issues could possibly be true however they don’t stand in opposition to the officer’s effort to restrain him to search for identification to dispel deputies’ alarm for property or individuals within the space.”
Aguilar Mendez instructed deputies that he didn’t imagine the wrestle was as intense as portrayed. He claimed to grasp Spanish however insisted he did nothing fallacious, stating that deputies merely grabbed and hit him.
Motion Information Jax reached out to Aguilar Mendez’s protection legal professional for remark and is awaiting a response. This story continues to unfold, and updates will probably be offered as extra info turns into out there.
At roughly 9:00pm on Might 19, 2023, SJSO Sergeant Michael Kunovich made contact with a male topic within the 2500 block of SR16 in St. Augustine. In the course of the encounter, a bodily altercation occurred and extra deputies responded. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/bL2WhiLkhl
— St. Johns County Sheriff’s Workplace (@SJSOPIO) May 20, 2023
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