An illegal alien has filed a federal civil rights complaint, alleging that his weak English-speaking abilities render him incapacitated and that he is the reason behind the death of Sgt. Michael Kunovich, a sheriff’s office employee in St. Johns County, Florida.
According to Breitbart News, Virgilio Aguilar-Mendez, a 19-year-old illegal immigrant from Guatemala, was detained in May 2023 and is accused of homicide and violent resistance against an officer in relation to Kunovich’s demise.
The defense team for Aguilar-Mendez filed a federal civil rights lawsuit this week against Lt. Jose Jimenez, who also responded to the incident, Kunovich’s estate, and St. Johns County. They allege that their client is disabled because he cannot speak Spanish or English, and as a result, he was denied rights under the “Rehabilitation Act” and the “Americans with Disabilities Act.”
According to the Florida Times-Union:
“The lawsuit states that Aguilar Mendez’s native tongue is Mam, not Spanish or English. Due to his inadequate grasp of both English and Spanish, he is disabled, and before Jimenez began questioning him, he was not given access to an interpreter at the scene or at the Sheriff’s Office to help him comprehend his Miranda rights.”
Although the arrest papers mention that Jimenez questioned him in Spanish, the complaint notes that Mam’s “translation into other languages, such as Spanish or English, might take on a different form.”
According to Aguilar-Mendez’s legal team, Kunovich subjected him to both police violence and bigotry.
“Mr. Virgilio was a victim of abuse by the police.” His lawyer stated, “He was the victim of racial stereotyping.” He suffered from constitutional rights violations pertaining to the fourth, fifth, and sixth amendments. We’ll hold those accountable who are in charge of this cruelty.
Police said that on May 19, Kunovich was seated outside of a closed company when he made a legitimate attempt to pat Aguilar-Mendez down. Rather than follow orders, Aguilar-Mendez attempted to escape Kunovich.
Even after additional police arrived, Aguilar-Mendez persisted in his resistance. After a while, Kunovich and Aguilar-Mendez were grappling on the ground as the latter tried to take the officer’s taser away from him. The altercation continued for about sixty minutes.
Aguilar-Mendez was then placed in handcuffs, but before he could be taken from him, he produced a pocketknife. After the altercation with Aguilar-Mendez, Kunovich fell to the ground. After receiving life-saving treatment from first responders and being taken to a neighboring hospital, he was declared dead.
Aguilar-Mendez is a Guatemalan illegal immigrant. He entered the country of Mexico in 2023 and was later allowed to enter the United States. Aguilar-Mendez had been laboring on a farm and sending money back to Guatemala, according to his lawyer.
