The deputy-involved shooting in Lake Jackson is under review by the Texas Rangers and a Brazoria County grand jury.
LAKE JACKSON, TX — A Brazoria County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed 18-year-old Texas State University student John Gabriel Mendoza Jr. early June 1 after a brief pursuit ended at a home in Lake Jackson, authorities and family representatives said.
The shooting has drawn sharp questions from Mendoza’s family, protesters and local officials because it followed an attempted traffic stop, involved four unarmed young people and ended inside the garage of Mendoza’s father’s home. The deputy has been placed on administrative leave while the Texas Rangers and the Brazoria County District Attorney’s Office investigate. District Attorney Tom Selleck has said the case will be presented to a grand jury.
The incident began shortly after midnight near FM 2004 and This Way Street, where a Brazoria County deputy tried to stop a vehicle driven by Mendoza, officials said. Mendoza did not stop and instead drove toward a home in the 100 block of Indian Warrior Trail, about two miles away. Family attorney Charles Adams said Mendoza and three longtime friends had been at a park playing basketball and exercising before the encounter. Adams said Mendoza became frightened and drove to his father’s house for help. “He was trying to get home,” Adams said in public comments after the shooting. Authorities have not released the full reason for the traffic stop or the complete sequence of events after Mendoza reached the garage.
Officials said the pursuit ended when Mendoza pulled into the attached garage. A deputy then encountered him and fired one shot, striking him. Mendoza was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Adams said Mendoza was shot in the back and through the heart, and he said no weapon or illegal substances were found in the vehicle. The three passengers were not injured. Surveillance video from a nearby home showed the final moments of the slow pursuit and captured audio of the gunshot, but it did not show the shooting itself. The video showed law enforcement vehicles arriving after the shot and family members later gathering near the home. Authorities have not released body camera or dash camera video.
Mendoza had recently finished his freshman year at Texas State University and was described by relatives as a strong student and former high school football player. A university spokesperson confirmed Mendoza was a student and offered condolences to his family and friends. Family members said he had made the dean’s list and was preparing to return to school. His death has also shaken Lake Jackson, a Brazoria County city south of Houston where the shooting happened in a residential neighborhood. The case moved quickly from a local deputy-involved shooting into a public dispute over transparency, use of force and how much information law enforcement should release while a criminal investigation is still open.
Sheriff Bo Stallman said the sheriff’s office requested an independent investigation and would cooperate with the Texas Rangers and prosecutors. Stallman also said limited public comment should not be read as a lack of concern. The deputy involved has not been fully described by the sheriff’s office in public statements, but demonstrators and family representatives have identified him as Deputy Kevin Tippit and demanded that he be charged. Selleck said the investigation could take months and that the evidence will go before a grand jury. No charge had been announced as of June 8. The district attorney’s office has said it cannot discuss the details of an active investigation.
The public response grew during the week after the shooting. More than 100 people gathered outside the Brazoria County Courthouse in Angleton, chanting Mendoza’s name and calling for the release of video, a murder charge and a federal civil rights investigation. Relatives stood with community activists and said they wanted answers about why a traffic stop ended with a fatal shot. Glenda Mendoza, Mendoza’s aunt, said the family was living through “a total nightmare” as they waited for officials to explain what happened. Adams said the passengers were unarmed and had their hands raised, and he said he wanted assurances that the surviving friends would not be unfairly targeted before they gave formal interviews.
The Texas Rangers and Brazoria County prosecutors remain the lead agencies reviewing the shooting. The next major step is a grand jury presentation, though officials have not announced a date. Mendoza’s family and supporters continued to press for video, records and a charging decision as of June 8.
Author note: Last updated June 8, 2026.