Overview
- The claim says deputies forced entry into Axeel Melendez’s home on April 10, fired multiple rounds through a bedroom door, and left the 24-year-old with a complete spinal cord injury and other major wounds.
- Melendez’s filing and his lawyer say at least two of eight bullets struck him, breaking his leg and ribs and causing permanent paralysis from the shooting.
- The notice argues officers ignored multiple red flags that the call was fake, including that it was routed through the city’s 311 nonemergency line, came from an out-of-state number, and included inconsistent details, and notes that Melendez had warned dispatchers days earlier about threats.
- Filed in late July, the $176 million notice names Sheriff Nanos, 13 deputies and other county officials and gives the Pima County Attorney 60 days to accept, deny or negotiate before a formal suit may be filed.
- The claim compounds other legal challenges tied to Nanos’s handling of the high-profile Nancy Guthrie investigation and could prompt reviews of dispatch verification, use-of-force rules and department accountability while families and the injured man face long-term medical and financial hardship.