Brazoria County Sheriff Bo Stallman announced Tuesday the termination of Deputy Kevin Tippett, eight days after Tippett fatally shot 18-year-old Texas State University freshman John Gabriel Mendoza Jr. inside his family's garage in Lake Jackson, Texas.
Stallman said the firing followed an internal investigation that found Tippett had violated department policy related to the handling and discharge of his firearm. The sheriff stressed the termination is independent of the ongoing Texas Rangers criminal investigation and should not be interpreted as a finding of criminal wrongdoing.
The shooting occurred just after midnight on Jun. 1, 2026, when a deputy attempted a traffic stop near FM 2004 and This Way Street in Lake Jackson, according to People.
Mendoza, who was driving home with three childhood friends after an evening at a nearby park, did not stop and led deputies on a brief pursuit of about two miles to his father's home on Indian Warrior Trail.
Surveillance footage obtained by KPRC 2 News shows Mendoza's car pulling into the garage, and within eight seconds of the deputy's sirens stopping, a single gunshot is heard, with no audible commands from Tippett captured on the video before the shot, ABC13 reported.
Tippett reportedly described the discharge as accidental on scanner communications. The bullet passed through the rolled-up driver's side window and struck Mendoza while he was still seated inside the vehicle. He was transported to a hospital and later died.
Mendoza had just completed his freshman year at Texas State, where he studied management, made the dean's list, and played football. His family's attorney, Charles Adams, stated that Mendoza and all passengers in the vehicle were unarmed and in possession of no illegal substances.
The Brazoria County District Attorney's office confirmed the case will be presented to a grand jury, with forensic testing expected to take several months. The reason for the original traffic stop has not been disclosed by authorities. No criminal charges have been filed against Tippett as of this writing, as per Fox26Houston.
