Sheriff's Dept Faces $176M Lawsuit | US News

US News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Aug 4, 2026 · 1m

A $176 million lawsuit is exploding against the Pima County Sheriff’s Department after deputies allegedly shot and paralyzed 24-year-old Axeel Melendez during a botched “swatting” response — despite his prior warnings to authorities that he was being threatened by hackers. Two days before the deadly raid, Melendez contacted dispatchers, who assured him no armed response would be sent unless further calls came in — yet deputies still stormed his home, fired eight shots, and left him paralyzed from the chest down while holding his mother’s legally registered gun. The suit accuses officers of…