An Arizona man is seeking $176 million from the Pima County Sheriff's Department, alleging that deputies shot him and left him partially paralyzed after responding to a swatting incident. The claim was filed by 24-year-old Axeel Melendez and his mother, Carmen Melendez.
Swatting is a criminal prank that involves making a false report to emergency services to elicit a large-scale law enforcement response at a specific location. According to Melendez's attorney, Dev Sethi, the incident began when someone impersonating Melendez called 311 on April 10. The caller falsely reported that Melendez's father had shot his sister at their address.
Sethi noted that the call originated from an out-of-state area code and the caller mispronounced Melendez's name, both of which he described as "red flags" for a fake call. He also pointed out that 311 is a non-emergency number, and individuals reporting genuine emergencies typically call 911.
Melendez had reportedly received a threatening message from an individual who had stolen his personal information during an online video game. The hacker demanded ransom for the return of his accounts and threatened to report him to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Following this threat, Melendez contacted 911 to express concerns about a potential swatting incident. His attorney stated that Melendez was assured by the 911 operator that safeguards were in place and that a swat team would not be dispatched based solely on such a call.
Despite this, the Pima County deputies approached the home with the stated intention of treating the situation as real. Melendez reported that as deputies broke through his bedroom window, he, believing an intruder was present, grabbed his family's legally owned handgun and took cover. The deputies then allegedly opened fire.
Melendez sustained injuries to his right thigh and left shoulder, resulting in a spinal cord injury, a broken leg, and broken ribs. Sethi emphasized that Melendez followed instructions to call the police when threatened, and his life has been significantly disrupted by the incident. The legal team has given the Sheriff's Department an opportunity to resolve the case, but the decision now rests with them.