BRAZORIA COUNTY, Tx — An 18-year-old Texas State University student is dead after being shot by a Brazoria County Sheriff's deputy following a pursuit that ended at a Lake Jackson home early Monday morning.
The incident began around 12:09 a.m. on June 1 when a deputy attempted to pull over a vehicle near FM 2004 and This Way Street, according to the Brazoria County Sheriff's Office.
The driver, identified as John Gabriel Mendoza Jr., a sophomore at Texas State University, failed to stop and led deputies on a chase. The pursuit ended when Mendoza pulled into the garage of a home in the 100 block of Indian Warrior Trail.
Brazoria officials have released few details about what happened next, but investigators say the deputy encountered Mendoza and fired his weapon, striking the student. Mendoza was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Detectives spent hours at the scene Monday morning collecting evidence as part of the ongoing investigation.
The Texas Rangers will lead the investigation alongside the Brazoria County District Attorney's Office, at the request of the sheriff's office. The deputy involved has been placed on administrative leave, which is standard department policy.
The investigation remains active, and officials have not disclosed what led the deputy to fire his weapon.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
Catch all the KRIS 6 News stories and more on our YouTube page. Subscribe today!
