Axeel Melendez, a 23-year-old Rust player, is seeking $176 million in damages from police following a swatting incident that left him paralyzed. The lawsuit comes after Melendez was shot by officers who entered his home in response to a false active shooter report, despite his prior warnings to law enforcement about being targeted by a potential swatter.
Melendez sustained injuries to his leg and spine when two officers entered his residence through his bedroom window. He is now facing lifelong paralysis from the waist down and is pursuing compensation for medical expenses and lost wages. The incident occurred two days after Melendez was reportedly targeted by another Rust player who hacked his computer, accessed personal information, and threatened to release it unless a payment was made. Melendez refused to pay, leading to threats of swatting.
According to a 911 call tape reported by the Arizona Daily Star, Melendez informed a dispatcher of the threats, including claims that the swatter intended to call in a bomb threat to his home and involve ICE due to his ethnicity. Despite these warnings, Melendez was reportedly told that a hoax caller could not simply cause SWAT to be dispatched and that no action would be taken.
An officer had visited Melendez's home to offer reassurance and confirmed that deputies were alerted to potential fake emergency calls concerning his address. Nevertheless, shortly thereafter, officers responded to a report of a domestic incident at his home and entered with weapons drawn. Police footage released publicly shows officers attempting to breach Melendez's bedroom window with a shovel. Upon seeing the end of a shotgun pointed in their direction from behind a door, the officers opened fire.
Melendez stated he was wearing noise-cancelling headphones while gaming and was unaware of the officers' presence until his window was smashed. He then attempted to wake his mother and retrieved a legally owned firearm. Melendez shared his aspirations of pursuing a career in automotive engineering, specifically aiming to work with Formula 1 teams, and described his pre-incident life as active and encompassing interests in soccer, reading, and board games.
Local police have declined to comment on the ongoing matter. Swatting incidents have tragically affected numerous online gamers and streamers, with high-profile cases including Grand Theft Auto 5 actor Ned Luke, who recently celebrated a swatter receiving jail time.