By Dexerto | Created at 2026-07-30 14:31:11 | Updated at 2026-08-03 11:29:06
3 days ago
An Arizona man left paralyzed during a police response to a fake emergency call is preparing to sue Pima County after hackers allegedly doxxed and blackmailed him through Rust.
Axeel Melendez, now 24, and his mother have filed a notice of claim seeking $176 million from Pima County and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. The filing is the required first step before suing a public entity in Arizona.
The claim alleges officials ignored multiple warnings that Melendez was being targeted with swatting, a tactic that uses false reports of serious crimes to trigger an armed police response at someone’s address.
According to the Arizona Daily Star, the ordeal began on April 8 while Melendez was playing Rust.
Rust player hacked trying to prove he wasn’t cheating
Someone on the game’s server reportedly asked to inspect his computer to confirm he was not cheating. Melendez agreed, but soon began receiving alerts that several of his accounts were being accessed.
Hackers allegedly gained access to his email and private information before demanding money. They threatened to falsely report that he had a bomb and contact immigration authorities about his family, despite them being US citizens.
Pima County Sheriff’s Department Melendez immediately called 911 to warn authorities that he could be swatted. However, a dispatcher assured him: “But they can’t just call SWAT on you. That’s not how that works.”
“Nothing’s going to happen,” the dispatcher added, according to audio published by Arizona’s Family.
Gamer accuses police of ignoring swatting warnings
Less than 48 hours later, someone posing as Melendez called authorities and claimed his father had shot his sister.
The notice of claim alleges the caller used an invalid out-of-state number, gave inconsistent details and contacted authorities through Tucson’s non-emergency 311 service. A deputy also reportedly warned over the radio that the incident could be a swatting attempt.
Authorities arrived at the home and tried its doors before breaking Melendez’s bedroom window with a shovel. Believing intruders were entering the house, Melendez grabbed his mother’s legally registered handgun.
Deputies encountered Melendez holding the weapon and opened fire. They fired eight shots, two of which struck him, shattering his leg, breaking his ribs and damaging his spinal cord. He is now paralyzed from the chest down.
Attorney Dev Sethi said Melendez “did everything he was supposed to do” by reporting the threats in advance. The claim alleges deputies acted negligently and recklessly by failing to connect the emergency report with his earlier warning.
The sheriff’s department declined to comment, citing pending litigation.
Swatting has remained a major threat across gaming and streaming. An 81-year-old Minecraft streamer was targeted during a broadcast, while another swatter mistakenly sent police to a Twitch streamer’s grandparents.
The FBI previously promised to crack down on the “dangerous trend,” while a man who swatted GTA 5 actor Ned Luke was recently sentenced to four years in prison.
