On May 19 Sgt. Michael Kunovich Deemed Him Suspicious While Outside The Super 8 Motel Parking Lot. Aguilar

The Florida Times-Union

Ruling is in whether teen immigrant is competent for trial in St. Johns officer's death

Virgilio Aguilar Mendez has been ruled incompetent for trial largely due language issues. He's charged in the death of Sgt. Michael Kunovich

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Release Virgilio Aguilar Mendez immediately!

On May 19 Sgt. Michael Kunovich deemed him suspicious while outside the Super 8 motel parking lot. Aguilar Mendez was sitting down eating but started to walk away when the officer approached in his patrol vehicle. Kunovich began to question him, but Aguilar Mendez couldn't understand him or communicate well and repeated that he was sorry. That's when Kunovich decided to search him, and Aguilar Mendez resisted. Two other deputies arrived to assist in taking the 5-foot-4, 115-pound teen to the ground as Kunovich repeatedly stunned him with his taser, all seen on body-worn camera video. Aguilar Mendez can be heard screaming for his family and is seen trying to gain control of the taser as the officers note in the video. Toward the end of the 6-minute scuffle, the deputies saw that their handcuffed suspect had a small folding knife and disarmed him. Kunovich collapsed a short time later in medical distress and died at the hospital, the Sheriff's Office said. Aguilar Mendez, who came here from Guatemala, was staying with other farmworkers at the hotel. He is being detained without bail, which is the subject of another hearing as yet to be decided. (source)

I'm going to need you all to start spreading awareness about this case and sign the petition. I'm a 5'4 woman and I weigh more than him. He's only 18, indigenous and doesn't understand English nor Spanish really. I can't imagine how confused and scared he was. Tased 6 times and apologizing repeatedly and calling out for his family... he is not responsible for the police officer's death. The fact he's been held for 8 months without bail is disgusting.

Virgilio looks so small, sad and defeated in all of the images I've seen of him.

Yahoo News

Attorney says video disputes charges that farmworker caused officer’s fatal heart attack

Vergilio Aguilar Mendez is charged in the death of a Florida sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Kunovich, but his attorney says video shows the officer