BRAZORIA COUNTY, Texas — The attorney representing John Mendoza Sr. and the estate of John Gabriel Mendoza Jr. is calling for the release of body camera footage, dash camera footage, audio recordings and other evidence tied to the fatal officer-involved shooting that has drawn concern across Brazoria County.
Charles D. Adams IV, an attorney with Roebuck, Thomas & Adams, PLLC, provided Gulf Coast Times with a written statement dated June 5 responding to public statements made earlier in the week by Brazoria County Sheriff Bo Stallman and Brazoria County District Attorney Tom Selleck.
In the statement, Adams criticized the official response to the shooting and accused local officials of failing to provide information the family and public are seeking.
Adams said Mendoza had been with three friends earlier that night at a park, where the group had gone to walk the track and catch up. According to Adams, the four young adults had been friends since childhood.
Adams said no one had called police about the group being at the park, but a Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office deputy on patrol pulled over and watched them. He said another police vehicle later joined the deputy.
According to Adams, the young men became concerned because of the law enforcement presence and decided to leave the park. Adams said Mendoza and the others returned to Mendoza’s car and drove away, with the deputy following behind.
Adams said there is no dispute that Mendoza did not stop once the deputy activated emergency equipment. However, he questioned whether Mendoza was legally attempting to evade the deputy.
“At this moment, there is no question John, the driver, did not stop,” Adams wrote. “There is, however, an important legal question that has yet to be definitively answered by the Brazoria County Sheriff Bo Stallman: did John attempt to evade Deputy Tippit?”
Adams argued that the information currently available to him does not support a felony evading allegation. He said recorded radio traffic indicated Mendoza was driving 60 mph on FM 2004 before reducing speed after leaving FM 2004 and entering surface streets.
Adams also said videos he received from neighbors showed Mendoza driving visibly slower than 30 mph in his neighborhood.
The family attorney said Mendoza was driving to the home where the vehicle was registered because he was scared and wanted his father present during the interaction with the deputy.
“Driving to the home the vehicle is registered to because he is scared and wants his father with him for his interaction with the Deputy is not ‘intentionally’ fleeing when there is no effort to escape the police,” Adams wrote.
Adams also raised questions about the original basis for the attempted stop, saying the Sheriff’s Office has not publicly provided the reason for the initial detention.
Adams argued that, based on information currently available to him, the more applicable charge would have been a misdemeanor offense related to failing to pull over, not felony evading. He also wrote that neither the misdemeanor charge nor a felony evading allegation would carry a death sentence.
“Neither charge subjects a defendant to the death penalty,” Adams wrote.
Adams also challenged whether deadly force was legally justified, writing that Texas law requires certain conditions before an officer may use force or deadly force.
The attorney alleged that security cameras from neighboring residences show the deputy exited his patrol car and shot Mendoza within seven seconds without issuing directives or commands.
Adams also alleged that the Texas Rangers told him Mendoza was unarmed. According to Adams, the three surviving passengers said all four occupants raised their hands when the vehicle stopped and waited for contact from the deputy.
Those claims have not been independently verified by Gulf Coast Times, and officials have not publicly released body camera footage, dash camera footage or a full investigative timeline.
Adams said a supervisor at the scene advised him that body camera footage was active and had been recovered. He criticized Sheriff Stallman for not releasing the footage, the alleged basis for the stop or officially identifying the deputy involved.
“But Sheriff Stallman, to date, has refused to officially provide the identity of the deputy who killed John, the alleged basis for the initial stop, or any of the dash or body worn camera footage,” Adams wrote.
In the statement provided to Gulf Coast Times, Adams identified the deputy as Deputy Tippit and called on officials to officially identify him. Gulf Coast Times has not independently confirmed the deputy’s identity through an official law enforcement release.
Adams also criticized District Attorney Tom Selleck’s statement that the case would be presented to a grand jury after a thorough investigation. Adams argued that public officials are not prevented from being transparent with the family or the community while the investigation moves forward.
He also criticized the DA’s expression of sympathy for “all parties involved,” saying the wording was offensive to Mendoza’s family.
“There is zero question John’s death was a criminal act,” Adams wrote. “I believe it was murder. At a minimum, it was manslaughter.”
That statement reflects the position of the family’s attorney. No criminal charges have been announced, and the case remains under investigation.
Adams also wrote that his office has been contacted by current and former members of the Brazoria County law enforcement community with additional allegations involving the Sheriff’s Office and the deputy. Adams acknowledged in the statement that he does not know whether all of those allegations are accurate, but said the public deserves transparency.
“I do not know if any of those allegations are accurate,” Adams wrote. “But Brazoria County deserves transparency on all of these issues.”
Adams closed the statement by calling on Sheriff Stallman and District Attorney Selleck to identify the deputy, release all relevant audio and video recordings, and arrest and charge the deputy involved.
“Sheriff Stallman and DA Selleck should do the right things with immediacy,” Adams wrote. “They should both officially identify Deputy Tippit. They should release all relevant audio and video recordings of the incident and interactions prior to the shooting. And they should arrest and charge Deputy Tippit.”
The shooting remains under investigation. Officials have previously said the Texas Rangers and the Brazoria County Criminal District Attorney’s Office are involved in the review.
Gulf Coast Times will continue following the case and will update this story if additional statements, records or official responses are released.
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