Man sues Pima County sheriff over paralytic shooting after swatting incident

Axeel Melendez, a 24-year-old, has sued the Pima County sheriff’s department after deputies responded to a fraudulent emergency call and entered his Tucson home. According to court filings, officers shattered a bedroom window, entered with weapons drawn, and fired seven shots through a door while Melendez was hiding behind it with a legally owned firearm. The gunfire hit his leg and spine, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down.

Melendez’s attorney says he had previously warned the department of a swatting threat and was told by a 911 dispatcher that no action would be taken. The lawsuit seeks damages for his life-altering injuries and medical expenses. The sheriff’s office declined to discuss the pending case. This lawsuit follows another recent multimillion-dollar claim against the department related to the investigation of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.