Brazoria County, TX — A former Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office deputy has been indicted and arrested on a first-degree felony charge stemming from the June 1 fatal shooting of 18-year-old John Gabriel Mendoza Jr.
According to the Brazoria County District Attorney’s Office, a grand jury indicted former Deputy Kevin Tippit on Aug. 6 for Aggravated Assault by a Public Servant.
Texas Rangers took Tippit into custody at approximately 9 a.m. Tuesday. He was booked into the Brazoria County Jail, and his bond was set at $250,000.
The charge stems from an officer-involved shooting that occurred during the early-morning hours of June 1 in Lake Jackson.
Authorities previously said Tippit attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Mendoza, leading to a pursuit that ended at Mendoza’s family home on Indian Warrior Trail. Mendoza drove into the garage, and authorities said Tippit exited his vehicle and fired his weapon.
Mendoza was shot and killed.
Following the shooting, Brazoria County Sheriff Bo Stallman requested that the Texas Rangers conduct the investigation.
On June 9, Tippit was terminated from the Sheriff’s Office after an internal review determined he violated department policy related to the handling and discharge of his firearm.
The criminal case has been filed in the 239th District Court with Judge Greg Hill presiding.
Aggravated Assault by a Public Servant is a first-degree felony. According to the District Attorney’s Office, the offense carries a punishment range of five to 99 years or life in prison.
An indictment is a formal accusation and does not constitute a finding of guilt. Tippit is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.