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.

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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.


Rangers said Men

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