John Gabriel Mendoza Sr., father of John Gabriel Mendoza Jr. holds a photograph of his son in front of the Brazoria County Courthouse during a protest in Angleton, Texas, on Friday, June 5, 2026, following the deputy-involved shooting that killed his son.
Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle
The lawyer representing the family of an 18-year-old shot by a Brazoria County sheriff’s deputy believes authorities are investigating John Mendoza Jr.’s death as a possible case of manslaughter, a conclusion he said he disagreed with.
In two statements posted on social media this weekend, the attorney, Charles Adams, also revealed some new details about the evidence being used to investigate the shooting. Adams said he met with Texas Rangers investigators on Friday for the first time since Mendoza’s death.
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Mendoza was shot and killed June 1 as he pulled into the driveway of his father’s home in Lake Jackson. Deputy Kevin Tippit had tried to pull Mendoza over before the shooting, but authorities have not said what prompted the attempted traffic stop.
In a 1,000-word Facebook post, Adams said that the Texas Rangers have reviewed dashcam and body-worn camera footage from the encounter. He said Mendoza’s family should be able to see the videos for themselves within the next week.
Adams also said he received a fuller description of the events that led to the shooting from the Rangers.
Tippit was not one of the police officers watching Mendoza and his friends while they were at a park shortly before the shooting. There had been speculation that Tippit watched the young men while they were at the park and then followed them. But Adams said it was actually Richwood Police Department officers who observed, but never approached, Mendoza and his friends.
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Rangers said Mendoza might have driven away from Tippit at “higher speeds than captured in the recorded audio of dispatch traffic.” Adams said it was unclear what the basis for the original traffic stop was.
“It appears the young men mistook Tippit for the officers at the park,” Adams wrote. “It appears John Jr. did flee toward his home and drove at high speeds and recklessly for a portion of the pursuit.”
But he said nothing that happened justified Tippit’s use of force.
Investigators told Adams Tippit ran up to Mendoza’s car alone and with his gun drawn, Adams said. The deputy raised the gun as he approached and fired one shot through the window, he said. Tippit gave no commands before he fired. Tippit also allegedly told Rangers that he did not remember firing his weapon.
Adams wrote that while the Rangers said they had not come to any conclusions about the shooting, he felt they were framing Mendoza’s killing as an accident.
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“Anyone else shooting someone in the back or shoulder without provocation on video would already be charged with murder, with no effort made to minimize the charge,” Adams wrote.
The shooting is being investigated by the Texas Rangers and the Brazoria County District Attorney’s Office. District Attorney Tom Selleck has said the case will be presented to a grand jury. The official investigations could take months to complete, officials said.
Adams has said the teenagers were unarmed, possessed no illegal substances and had their hands raised when the deputy fired.
Surveillance footage provided to the Chronicle captured the end of what appeared to be a slow pursuit. Sirens stopped and a single gunshot was heard eight seconds later. The first ambulance arrived more than nine minutes after the shot, according to the footage.
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Since the shooting, the family and protesters have demanded release of body camera footage, criminal charges and a federal review of the incident. Sheriff Bo Stallman fired Tippit, saying the deputy violated department policies on handling and discharging his firearm. Tippit has not made any public statements about the shooting.