NEED TO KNOW
Deputy Kevin Tippit was fired after the June 1 shooting death of 18-year-old John Mendoza Jr.
Sheriff Bo Stallman cited “policy violations related to the handling and discharge” of Tippit’s firearm
Mendoza’s family attorney has called for Tippit’s arrest as the Texas Rangers investigation continues
The Texas deputy who fatally shot an 18-year-old college freshman during an attempted traffic stop earlier this month has been fired after an internal investigation found policy violations involving the handling and discharge of his firearm.
Brazoria County Sheriff Bo Stallman announced on June 9 that Deputy Kevin Tippit had been terminated following the June 1 shooting death of John Mendoza Jr., an 18-year-old Texas State University freshman from Lake Jackson.
In a video statement, Stallman said Tippit was fired for “policy violations related to the handling and discharge of his firearm,” but stressed that the decision was separate from the ongoing criminal investigation into the shooting.
“My decision is entirely independent of the ongoing criminal investigation and should not be interpreted as a conclusion regarding criminal liability,” Stallman said.
Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office vehicle
Credit: Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook
According to the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office, the shooting occurred shortly after midnight on June 1 after a deputy attempted to stop a vehicle near FM 2004 in Lake Jackson. Authorities said Mendoza did not stop and instead drove to his father’s home on Indian Warrior Trail, where he was shot. He later died at a hospital.
The Texas Rangers are leading the criminal investigation alongside the Brazoria County District Attorney’s Office. District Attorney Tom Selleck has said the case will ultimately be presented to a grand jury.
The firing came days after attorney Charles Adams, who represents Mendoza’s father and estate, called on authorities to identify Tippit, release body-camera and dash-camera footage and arrest the deputy.
In a June 5 statement shared by FOX 26, Adams said the Texas Rangers had told him Mendoza was unarmed and alleged that surveillance footage showed Tippit fired within seven seconds of exiting his patrol vehicle. Adams also said the three surviving passengers told him all four occupants of the vehicle raised their hands after stopping. Authorities have not publicly released video footage from the incident.
“John Mendoza Jr. will not be forgotten,” Stallman said in his June 9 statement. “My prayers remain with you as your family continues to navigate this unimaginable tragedy.”
KHOU 11,FOX 26 Houston and Click2Houston have reported that scanner audio from the scene included references to an “accidental discharge,” though authorities have not publicly characterized the shooting that way.
Adams has argued that Tippit should face criminal charges. In a statement after the firing, he said he was encouraged by the sheriff’s decision but maintained that further accountability was needed.
Mendoza had recently completed his freshman year at Texas State University, where he was studying management, according to The Houston Chronicle. A former football player at Brazoswood High School, he had returned home for the summer when he was killed.
“He had so much life ahead of him,” Mendoza’s father told the Chronicle. “Just a beautiful spirit, a beautiful soul, beautiful smile, energetic. Everybody loved him. He didn’t deserve this.”
The investigation remains ongoing.
Read the original article on People