Axeel Melendez’s world collapsed in seconds. The 24-year-old Arizona Rust player had warned police he was being targeted. Two days later, sheriff’s deputies forced their way into his home and shot him, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down with a T4 spinal cord injury.
Melendez and his mother have filed a $176 million notice of claim against Pima County and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. Some published reports reference a higher figure; the difference appears to stem from varying tallies of the public filing rather than a single settled total. A notice of claim is the required first step under Arizona law before suing a government entity.
The ordeal started April 8, 2026, while Melendez played the multiplayer survival game Rust. After allowing another player to inspect his computer to prove he was not cheating, hackers allegedly accessed his accounts, doxxed him (published his personal information online), and demanded money. They threatened to swat him making a false emergency call to send armed police to his address or contact immigration authorities, even though his family are U.S. citizens.
Melendez immediately called 911. A dispatcher told him, “Nothing’s going to happen,” and “They can’t just call SWAT on you. That’s not how that works,” according to released audio. His report was logged.
On April 10 around 5:40 a.m., someone impersonating Melendez called Tucson’s non-emergency 311 line claiming his father had shot his sister at the family home south of Tucson. The call carried red flags: an invalid out-of-state number and inconsistent details. A deputy noted over the radio it could be swatting.
Deputies tried the doors, then broke Melendez’s bedroom window with a shovel. Believing intruders were entering, Melendez grabbed a legally owned handgun belonging to his mother. Deputies fired eight shots; two struck him, shattering his leg, breaking ribs, and damaging his spinal cord. His mother witnessed the scene. Body-camera footage and dispatch records form the basis of these accounts, which multiple outlets including the Arizona Daily Star, Dexerto, and Law&Crime have reported from the public claim and police materials.
Attorney Dev Sethi said Melendez “did everything he was supposed to do.” The claim alleges negligence for ignoring the prior warning and clear signs the call was a hoax. The Sheriff’s Department has declined detailed comment because litigation is pending. No public arrests of the alleged hackers or swatter have been announced.
This case underscores the real dangers of online harassment in gaming communities, where doxxing and swatting can spill into life-altering violence. It also raises hard questions about how police verify emergency calls when prior threats exist. Should agencies adopt stronger cross-check protocols before forced entry in potential swatting situations? The answer may determine whether more lives are protected in the digital age.
