PIMA COUNTY, Ariz. — A 23-year-old Arizona man is now paralyzed from the waist down after Pima County sheriff’s deputies responded to a hoax “swatting” call that sent them breaking into his home early on April 10.
Axeel Melendez was alone in the residence on East Fenley Drive in the Summit area when deputies arrived following a false emergency report claiming he had called to say his father had just shot his younger sister.
The Pima Regional Critical Incident Team released graphic bodycam and investigative footage on Tuesday detailing the response. The video shows deputies knocking on the front door multiple times and announcing their presence with no answer. They then moved to the back of the home, where one deputy used a shovel to smash a bedroom window to gain entry.
Deputies encountered an armed Melendez who believed criminals were breaking into his house.
According to the released report, Melendez, who had previously warned authorities that he feared being targeted for swatting, was waiting near the bedroom door with a handgun. As a deputy entered through the broken window and announced their presence, Melendez pointed the firearm toward the officers.
Two deputies opened fire, identified in the report as Deputy Santiago Casillas-Velazquez and Deputy Andres Vasquez. Melendez was struck multiple times. It remains unclear whether he fired his weapon. He was heard yelling before the shots were fired.
Melendez was rushed to a hospital. While initial reports described his injuries as non-life-threatening, his victim rights attorney, Lynne Cadigan, said the young man is now paralyzed from the waist down.“He can’t even go to the bathroom on his own. He has to manually go to the bathroom,” Cadigan told local media.
She said Melendez had contacted authorities in advance, fearing a swatting incident. A deputy had previously responded to his home, documented his information, and assured him they would prevent any fake calls from triggering a dangerous response.
“All they had to do was call Axeel,” Cadigan said, criticizing the lack of verification before forcing entry. “Was that you? Is your Dad there? Did he shoot someone? Why didn’t they do that? That would have solved everything.”
No one else was inside the home at the time of the incident. The call was determined to be a hoax — a classic case of swatting, where someone makes a false report to trigger a heavy police response.
Three deputies suffered minor injuries during the response, though not from gunfire.
The shooting remains under investigation by the Pima Regional Critical Incident Team.
This tragic case highlights the growing danger of swatting hoaxes, which put both innocent residents and law enforcement in life-altering situations. Melendez, who armed himself believing he was facing a home invasion, now faces a permanent disability after what authorities have confirmed was a malicious false alarm. The released bodycam footage provides a stark, real-time look at how quickly a routine response to a reported shooting can turn deadly when a resident, fearing for his life, defends his home.
