The family of a chase suspect killed by a Brazoria County deputy has revealed that he was a student at Texas State University.
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 chase that ended when the vehicle 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, who later died at the hospital, the sheriff’s office said.
The driver’s family identified him as 18-year-old John Gabriel Mendoza Jr. His family told ABC13 he played football at Brazoswood High School and was going to be a sophomore at Texas State.
Mendoza’s father said he was shot while inside the car, unarmed.
The Brazoria County Sheriff’s office has not released information on the reason for the attempted traffic stop, what caused the deputy to fire the gun, or if the driver was armed.
The deputy has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, which is protocol.
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