>> FROM THE LOCAL STATION NEWSFOURJAX. >> REMEMBERING SERGEANT
MICHAEL COULD HAVE IT. YOU’RE
LOOKING LIVE AT THE VISITATION
FOR THE VETERAN SAINT JOHNS
COUNTY DEPUTY WHO DIED LAST
WEEK IN THE LINE OF DUTY,
LOVED ONES AND FRIENDS
GATHERING AHEAD OF TOMORROW’S
FUNERAL. SERGEANT COULD OF IT
COLLAPSED AND DIED LAST FRIDAY
NIGHT WHILE TRYING TO DETAIN A
MAN WHO THE SHERIFF SAYS WAS
RESISTING ARREST.
>> AND WHO HAD BEEN
TRESPASSING AT THE CLOSE OF
BUSINESS ON STATE ROAD 16 IN
SAINT AUGUSTINE, 18 YEAR-OLD
FOR HELIO AGUILAR. MENDEZ IS
CHARGED WITH FELONY MURDER,
IMMIGRATIONS AND CUSTOMS
CONFIRMS HE WAS IN THE UNITED
STATES ILLEGALLY.
>> AND THE ARREST REPORT SAYS
MENDEZ LATER TOLD
INVESTIGATORS HE WAS AFRAID OF
BEING DEPORTED NEWS. 4 JAX
REPORTER MARILYN PARKER JOINS
US LIVE TO SAINT JOHNS COUNTY
SHERIFF’S OFFICE WITH AN
UPDATE ON INVESTIGATION.
MARYLAND.
>> YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN AN
INCREDIBLY EMOTIONAL WEEK FOR
THIS DEPARTMENT. THEN YOU ADD
ON A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION
THAT WE’RE STILL LEARNING
DETAILS ABOUT ATTORNEYS SAY
THAT THE SERGEANT SUSPICION OF
THE SUSPECT WHICH STARTED THIS
WHOLE THING HAS TO BE
REASONABLE. THEY’RE GOING TO
RELY ON BODY CAMERA VIDEO
BECAUSE SERGEANT COULDN’T
PITCH ISN’T HERE TO SPEAK FOR
HIMSELF.
>> ALMOST A WEEK SINCE THE
UNTIMELY DEATH OF SERGEANT
MICHAEL COHEN OF H SERGEANT
MICHAEL COMING OF AGE.
>> SUCCUMBED BASICALLY TO SOME
MEDICAL ISSUES THAT ACTUALLY
WERE INDUCED BY THE STRUGGLE.
>> WITH OUR SUBJECT, WE STILL
DON’T KNOW THE EXACT CAUSE OF
DEATH. BUT SHERIFF ROBERT
HARDWICK SAYS THE SERGEANT
ACTED BY THE BOOK WHEN
PURSUING 18 YEAR-OLD FOR HE’LL
AGUILAR MENDEZ. HE SITS IN
JAIL, CHARGED WITH THE
SERGEANTS MURDER. CHECKED WITH
HIM SIMPLY SAY, HEY, WHY ARE
YOU ON THIS PROPERTY TRUST
PASS AN IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY
JEREMY LESNETT SKI SAYS THE
TRESPASSING IS A KEY PART OF
THIS CASE. DOES THERE HAVE TO
BE A SIGN THAT SAYS NO
TRESPASSING? THERE HAS TO BE
NOTICE AND THEN THAT OFFICER
WOULD HAVE TO HAVE REASONABLE
SUSPICION.
>> THAT HE IS IN VIOLATION OF
THAT. THAT NOTICE WE WANT TO
SHOW YOU THE LAYOUT HERE
THROUGH SKY 4 DRONE.
>> THE BUILDING WITH THE
ORANGE ROOF IS CONNECTED TO
THE SOUPER 8 MOTEL. BUT IT’S
NOT THE MOTEL. THE BLINDS ARE
CLOSED AND IT LOOKS LIKE
SOMETHING. IT’S BLOCKING THE
DOOR. THIS IS WHERE THE
CONFRONTATION HAPPENED BETWEEN
SERGEANT COULD HAVE BENCH AND
ANGLE R MENDEZ. WE SPOKE TO
PARADE EMPLOYEE WHO SAYS IT
ALSO OWNS THIS PROPERTY, BUT
THEY DON’T HAVE ANY NO
TRESPASSING SIGNS POSTED.
HOWEVER, WE KNOW THE SHERIFF
SAID WHO KNEW APPROACHED ANGLE
R MENDEZ BECAUSE IT SEEMS
SUSPICIOUS HE WOULD BE IN THE
DARK OUTSIDE A CLOSED
BUILDING. THE SHERIFF SAYS THE
AREA SEES PROSTITUTION AND
ILLEGAL DRUG ACTIVITY.
>> POINTING TO COVID BEACHES,
SUSPICION. HE ALSO SAYS BODY
CAMERA SHOWS THE SUSPECT TRIED
TO REMOVE A POCKET KNIFE WHEN
SERGEANT KUHN OF IT WAS
APPROACHING HIM. BUT THE
ARREST REPORT SAYS ONE COULD
HAVE MADE CONTACT. HE TRIED TO
PAT HIM DOWN FOR WEAPONS AND
THE SUSPECT RESISTED AND LATER
TRIED PULLING THE KNIFE AFTER
HE WAS HANDCUFFED. YEAH, I
THERE’S 2 MAIN ISSUES WITH
THIS CASE. ONE IS WHETHER THE
OFFICER HAD REASONABLE
SUSPICION THAT HE WAS
COMMITTING A CRIME SUCH TO
DETAIN HIM IN THE FIRST WAS
THIS A VIOLATION OF THE 4TH
AMENDMENT SEARCH AND SEIZURE?
AND THEN THE SECOND ISSUE IS
CAUSE ATION DID THE RESISTING
WITH VIOLENCE CAUSE THE DEATH?
SHERIFF HARDWICK TOLD
REPORTERS HIS OFFICE IS
RELYING ON INFORMATION FROM
THE MEDICAL EXAMINER AND HE
SAYS THE SERGEANT WAS NOT
STAFFED.
>> THERE WAS ANOTHER CASE
SIMILAR TO THIS OUT OF NASSAU
COUNTY IN 2016.
>> FRANCISCO WITHIN THE UNITED
STATES ILLEGALLY RAN FROM
BORDER PATROL. AND WHILE
NASSAU COUNTY DEPUTY ERIC
OLIVER CHASED HIM, THE DEPUTY
WAS HIT BY AN SUV AND DIED AT
THE SCENE. BUT OFFENSE AS HIS
ATTORNEY TOLD NEWS 4 JAX
TODAY, SAINT JOHN’S LAW
ENFORCEMENT HAS THE BENEFIT OF
BODY CAM WHICH WAS NOT
AVAILABLE. AND MISTER PORT THE
GULF WENT AS HIS CASE VIDEO
LIKE THIS IS INVALUABLE TO ALL
PARTIES IN A CRIMINAL CASE
BECAUSE IT IS A HISTORICAL
ACCOUNT OF THE EVENTS THAT
HAPPENED WITHOUT INFLUENCE
FROM MOTIVE, BIAS, EMOTION OR
HUMAN FALL ABILITY. YOU CAN BE
SURE ALL PARTIES WILL
CAREFULLY DISSECT AND EVALUATE
THE BODY-WORN CAMERA AVAILABLE
TO DETERMINE NOT JUST THE
INITIAL BASES FOR THE
ENCOUNTER, BUT WHETHER INDEED
MISTER MENDEZ WAS COMMITTING A
FELONY AT THE TIME OF THIS
OFFICER’S PASSING FOR FUENTES
PLEADED GUILTY AND DEPUTY
OLIVER’S DEATH. IT WAS
SENTENCED TO 12 YEARS IN
PRISON. WE REACHED OUT TO
AGUILAR, MENDEZ ATTORNEY,
ROSEMARIE PEOPLE’S FOR A
COMMENT. AND WE’RE WAITING TO
HEAR BACK.