Chase suspect killed by Brazoria County deputy after attempted traffic stop, sheriff's office says

BRAZORIA COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- The family of a college student killed by a Brazoria County deputy says he was unarmed and not threatening anyone when he was shot in his garage.

According to the Brazoria County Sheriff's Office, a deputy tried to stop a vehicle near FM 2004 and This Way Street in Lake Jackson just after midnight on Monday.

Authorities said the vehicle failed to stop and fled, sparking a short chase that ended when the car entered the garage of a home in the 100 block of Indian Warrior Trail in Lake Jackson.

The deputy fired his gun and injured the driver, identified as 18-year-old John Gabriel Mendoza Jr. Mendoza died at the hospital, the sheriff's office said.

"They just shot through the window," Belinda Mendoza Ramirez, Mendoza's great-aunt, said. "Didn't give him a chance. I don't understand it."

Family members spoke to ABC13 late Monday, just feet from where the shooting happened. The driver's side window of the car was blown out. They say he was unarmed and shot while inside the car.

"You don't get executed for minor stuff. You get a ticket or spend three nights in jail or whatever," Ricardo Casteneda, Mendoza's uncle, said. "You don't die from stuff like that. He was executed."

Mendoza's family told ABC13 he played football at Brazoswood High School and was going to be a sophomore at Texas State this fall.

The Brazoria County Sheriff's Office has not said the reason for the attempted traffic stop, what caused the deputy to fire the gun, or if they found a weapon.

The Texas Rangers and the Brazoria County District Attorney's Office are now leading the investigation.

"We want justice. We just want to know what happened. No kid is perfect, but nobody deserves this," added great-aunt Glenda Mendoza.

The deputy's name has not been released. The sheriff's office says he has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, which is protocol.