An investigation is underway after former Brazoswood High School football player John Gabriel Mendoza Jr. was shot and killed by a Brazoria County Sheriff’s deputy following a chase early Monday morning in Lake Jackson.
According to the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy attempted to stop a vehicle shortly after midnight near FM 2004 and This Way Street. Authorities said the driver did not stop, leading deputies on a pursuit that ended at a home in the 100 block of Indian Warrior Trail.
Officials said the vehicle entered or struck the garage of the home. The sheriff’s office said the deputy then encountered the driver and fired his weapon. Mendoza was injured and later died at a hospital.
Mendoza’s family identified him as the driver. Family members said he was 18 or 19 years old, had played football at Brazoswood High School, and had recently finished his first year at Texas State University. His family’s attorney said Mendoza was unarmed.
The sheriff’s office has not released the reason for the attempted traffic stop, what led the deputy to fire, or whether Mendoza had a weapon.
The Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office said it has requested assistance from the Texas Rangers, who will lead the investigation alongside the Brazoria County District Attorney’s Office.
The deputy involved has been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure while the investigation continues.
Mendoza’s death has left his family seeking answers as investigators work to determine exactly what happened in the moments after the chase ended.
