End of watch: Community, law enforcement celebrate life of St. Johns sheriff's officer

Michael Kunovich's two young sons stood side by side in front of a celebration of life Friday for their father, a sergeant in the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office who collapsed and died May 19 after a struggle with a teenage suspect.

They wanted the gathering of law enforcement officers and the public to know that their father was a kind, generous man who stressed to them that work wasn't everything, who encouraged them to travel, who often told his sons how proud he was of them.

"What many don’t know is how much we say we were proud of him, his hard work and his moral compass," Michael Jr. said. "He had the extraordinary ability to come home after a long shift and be Dad."

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As Michael struggled with his emotion, his brother Max put his arm around him.

"Dad, your shift was over way too soon," Michael said. "Go rest high on that mountain, be our guardian angel and guide Max and I to serve like you did.”

Officers from Florida and beyond came

Rain had just ended, but it was cool, gray and blustery Friday morning as hundreds of people gathered at St. Joseph Catholic Church on Old St. Augustine Road to honor Kunovich, 52, a veteran St. Johns County sheriff's officer.

Officers from across Florida came, with some from Hillsborough County, Sarasota, Winter Springs, Green Cove Springs, Flagler County and other departments joining St. Johns and Duval sheriff's officers for the service.

Brian Briska and Armand Reyes came all the way from Long Island, N.Y., representing the Suffolk County police chapter of the Brotherhood of the Fallen, a nonprofit organization.

"Anybody that was violently killed in the line of duty, we want our department represented; two volunteers any time anything like this happens," Briska said. "It's a brotherhood. We have to stick together. Just the emotional support for the family, to know that they're not alone."

Reyes, who retired from Suffolk County Highway Patrol after he was injured by a drunk driver in 2011, said he's sadly used to going to services such as Friday's. It's important to acknowledge the humanity of the fallen officers, he said.

"It's hard, unless you share what is going on, which is hard to do on a daily basis because we see so much stuff," Reyes said. "We're human, and we're just there to enforce the law and keep everyone safe."

"Wish we didn't have to do it," Briska added, "but we're honored to be here."

A deadly altercation and a murder charge

On May 19, about 9 p.m., Kunovich saw a young man in a hotel parking lot in the 2500 block of Florida 16 in St. Augustine and thought something might be suspicious, according to the arrest report. St. Johns authorities later identified him as 18-year-old Vergilio Aguilar Mendez, whom they said is a homeless migrant worker from Guatemala living in the United States illegally.

Based on footage from Kunovich's body-worn camera, Aguilar Mendez began walking away when the officer approached in his patrol vehicle. As Kunovich tried to question him and pat him down, Aguilar Mendez pulled away and fled.

Backup arrived on the scene, but the Sheriff's Office said Aguilar Mendez continued resisting and Kunovich used his taser at least three times as the 18-year-old tried to wrestle it away, police said. After the suspect was handcuffed, he managed to pull out a folding pocket knife from a pocket and had to be disarmed by deputies.

The struggle lasted about six minutes, and Kunovich collapsed in "medical distress" and could not be revived, the Sheriff's Office said.

Aguilar Mendez has been charged with murder and resisting law enforcement with violence. The murder count is due to a death occurring during the commission of a felony.

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Kunovich was much awarded

Kunovich, a 26-year Sheriff's Office veteran, started out as a reserve deputy and eventually became a senior law enforcement deputy, senior internal affairs detective and a patrol shift leader. He was on the SWAT team for five years and most recently served as a sergeant in the Central Region.

The Sheriff's Office said he received numerous awards including Meritorious Service in 2003 and 2013, Exceptional Service in 2010 and many letters of commendation. He earned his bachelor’s degree in public administration from Flagler College.

Before the ceremony, David Petry, a police officer in Port S. Lucie, readied himself in the church parking lot after he and a colleague drove three hours to get to the funeral.

"We just want to pay our respect to a fellow officer who gave the ultimate sacrifice," Petry said. "The drive was nothing to us."