Rust Fan Sues Police After Swatting Incident Leaves Him Paralyzed
A Tucson resident has filed a $176 million lawsuit against police after being shot during a swatting incident related to the survival game Rust. In April 2026, 23-year-old Axeel Melendez was shot in the leg and spine by officers who entered his home through a bedroom window while responding to a false report of an active shooter. The incident has left Melendez permanently paralyzed from the waist down.
The shooting occurred despite Melendez having previously warned the police department that he was being targeted by a potential swatter. Two days before officers stormed his home, Melendez was hacked by another Rust player who gained access to his personal computer data and demanded money from him. The hacking and subsequent false emergency report appear to be part of a targeted harassment campaign.
Melendez is seeking damages to cover medical expenses and lost wages resulting from his permanent disability. The lawsuit highlights the real-world dangers of swatting—a malicious prank where someone makes a false emergency report to send armed police to a target’s location—particularly within competitive gaming communities. What began as an online dispute in the Rust community escalated to a life-altering incident with serious legal implications for both the individual responsible and the police department involved.