Vilified by some, a hero to many, late St. Johns sergeant’s service record was exemplary

Regardless of Friday’s decision to dismiss the case against the young Guatemalan charged in Sgt. Michael Kunovich’s fatal heart attack, a review of about 700 pages of the 26-year veteran’s personnel file shows an exemplary career of professionalism and heroism void of any notable blemishes.

His file includes 40 letters of praise and commendations, 174 training and qualification certificates, two meritorious awards and one for exceptional service.

The latter award states: “You and Deputy Mindy Laird responded to a home burning and possibly still occupied. Without hesitation or concern for your own safety, you kicked open the front door and you and Deputy Laird entered the burning building to search for occupants. Although no human occupants were found in the home, your efforts resulted in two dogs and two cats being rescued from the building.

“You displayed exceptional courage in the presence of grave personal danger,” the award continues. “Your actions uphold the highest traditions in law enforcement and reflect great credit upon you, your division and this agency.”

Of the letters, one was from the executive director of the Wesley Woods retirement community after Kunovich responded to a pair of 911 calls there.

“The first of these concerned a nursing home resident who was physically and mentally out of control,” the letter reads. “I was there when Deputy Kunovich arrived. If I hadn’t known better, I would have thought that he was dealing with his own grandmother… he instantly acted like he had known her for years and proceeded to generate a conversation that successfully got her mind off of whatever was upsetting her. He completely turned the situation around and kept things under control until ambulance personnel could arrive.

“The second incident that day was concerning a theft — Deputy Kunovich collected statements from the staff, made some investigative calls and lined out for us the various options that were available," the letter continues. “On behalf of our residents and staff, please pass along to Deputy Kunovich my thanks and appreciation for his dedication, thoroughness and compassion.”

Sgt. Michael Kunovich: Late officer's son in dismissed St. Johns case defends his legacy

Another involved a couple and their broken-down vehicle.

“I was coming back from Jacksonville to my home in Palm Coast,” the letter reads. “My car stopped just past the I-95 cutoff to State Road 16. I have a bad back and hip and my wife and I were trying to walk back to 16 for help when I saw a St. Johns County Sheriff’s car and waived him down.

“The officer who stopped to give us aid was Officer Michael P. Kunovich, Deputy Sheriff, a member of your staff and very welcome sight to me and my wife,” the letter continues. “I’m 79 and she is 78 and we were having trouble walking to 16.

“Deputy Kunovich was a very nice person,” the writer goes on. “He took us back to our car, called AAA and stayed with us until help arrived. He was a very excellent example of what a police officer should be. He is a credit to your organization and I wanted you to know that he should be credited for his attitude and professional way in which he conducted himself. My wife and I are very grateful for the help he gave us.”

Much like the Exceptional Service Award, another letter from a Fire Rescue chief involved him risking his life again.

“It has been brought to my attention that during the recent structure fire at the Westminster Woods assisted living facility, two of your deputies, Deputy Michael Kunovich and Deputy James Jackson, arrived on scene prior to the arrival of Fire Rescue,” the letter states. “These deputies entered the facility to assist in the evacuation of elderly residents, re-entered the building several times despite the smoke-filled atmosphere, without hesitation and without concern for their own safety.

“Both deputies were treated on scene for smoke inhalation, but were not transported to the hospital,” the chief continues. “I commend each of these deputies for their heroic efforts. I feel their actions directly resulted in there being no injuries or fatalities at this fire. Please extend my heartfelt appreciation as the Fire Chief and a citizen of St. Johns County.”

These are just a sampling, but the letters all expressed similar themes commending the type of man Kunovich was and his service to the community.

In his 26-year career Kunovich's “Concise Employee History,” which chronicles complaints and discipline against officers, also reflects very few issues. It consisted of one citizen complaint and six investigations. All but one were unfounded or exonerated. The one sustained was failure to perform duties in 2012, in which he received consultation. In 2007 he also received verbal counseling for rudeness.

Kunovich, 52, had most recently served as a sergeant in the Central Region. He started as a reserve deputy eventually becoming a senior law enforcement deputy, senior internal affairs detective, a patrol shift leader and was on the SWAT team for five years. He was a divorced father of two sons.

“My father was a kind, generous and intelligent man full of common sense and humor,” his son Michael Jr. said at his funeral. “He truly embodied what it meant to be a great person, but most importantly he was a great dad. What many don’t know is how much we [he and his brother Max] say we were proud of him, his hard work and his moral compass. He had the extraordinary ability to come home after a long shift and be Dad and could separate his work life from his home."

The aftermath from the May 19 arrest

Since the May 19 incident with then-18-year-old Virgilio Aguilar Mendez, officer-worn body camera video footage has provided ammunition for many to question Kunovich’s judgment and tactics that night. Due to Aguilar Mendez’s Hispanic appearance and lack of understanding English, many believe he was racially profiled, unnecessarily harassed and searched, and eventually overcharged with aggravated manslaughter of an officer.

His attorney Jose Baez stated it "was a clear case of racial profiling as well as a case of outright discrimination.”

The Guatemalan-Maya Center too said this “young Indigenous Maya-Mam male was racially profiled, brutalized by the police and treated inhumanely without justice.”

Neither the State Attorney's Office or St. Johns County Sheriff's Office have cited any wrongdoing by Kunovich or the other deputies involved. The State Attorney's Office said the decision was due to Aguilar Mendez's limited capacity to understand English or even Spanish and the court's ruling that he wasn't competent enough for trial.

Sheriff Rob Hardwick has previously stated the sergeant did everything by the book. Following Friday’s announcement, the sheriff reiterated, “There have been attempts by some to portray Aguilar Mendez as a victim and vilify Sergeant Kunovich. I continue to stand behind Sergeant Kunovich’s actions on the night of May 19, 2023.”

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Personnel file shows exemplary St. Johns County Sgt. Michael Kunovich