An Arizona man who says Pima County sheriff's deputies left him paralyzed from the chest down during a response to what investigators later determined was a fraudulent emergency call has filed a $176 million claim against the county, its sheriff, and the deputies involved, Fox News reported.
The claim names Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, the county itself, and multiple deputies. It centers on a November 2023 incident at the Tucson-area home of Angelo Rosales, who was 28 at the time. His attorneys say deputies shot Rosales in the spine after responding to a call that turned out to be a "swatting" hoax, a tactic in which someone places a fake emergency call to draw an armed law enforcement response to an unsuspecting person's address.
Rosales has been confined to a wheelchair since the shooting. His legal team argues the deputies used excessive and unjustified force against a man who posed no threat, and that the department's response protocols failed at every level. The $176 million figure reflects what the claim describes as lifetime medical costs, lost earnings, and pain and suffering.
On the evening of November 29, 2023, Pima County deputies responded to a 911 call reporting a violent domestic situation at Rosales's home. The caller claimed a man inside the residence had shot a woman and was holding others hostage. The call was later identified as a swatting hoax, with no evidence of any domestic violence or hostage situation at the address.
Deputies arrived and surrounded the home. Rosales, who his attorneys say was unaware of the fake call and had no idea why armed officers were outside, eventually came to his front door. What happened next is at the core of the legal dispute.
The claim alleges that deputies opened fire on Rosales within seconds of his appearance at the door, striking him in the spine. His attorneys say he was unarmed and made no threatening movements. At least one round severed his spinal cord, leaving him permanently paralyzed from the chest down, a condition his medical team has described as complete T4 paraplegia.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department has not publicly released body camera footage of the shooting. Authorities have not publicly confirmed whether all responding deputies were equipped with body cameras that night.
Swatting has become an increasingly dangerous form of criminal harassment across the country. The caller typically spoofs a phone number or uses anonymous digital tools to place a fake 911 call describing an extreme violent crime in progress, such as a shooting, hostage situation, or bomb threat. The goal is to provoke a maximum armed response to an innocent person's home.
In this case, investigators determined after the fact that the 911 call was fraudulent. No victim of domestic violence was found at the home. No hostage situation existed. No firearm belonging to Rosales was recovered at the scene consistent with the caller's claims, his attorneys said.
Authorities have not publicly identified the person who placed the swatting call. Investigators have not said whether any suspect has been charged in connection with the hoax. The claim filed by Rosales's legal team argues that deputies should have recognized warning signs that the call might be fraudulent before resorting to lethal force.
The $176 million notice of claim, a required precursor to a lawsuit against a government entity in Arizona, was filed against Pima County, Sheriff Chris Nanos in his official capacity, and the individual deputies involved in the shooting. Arizona law requires claimants to file such a notice before bringing a formal civil suit, giving the government entity 60 days to respond.
Rosales's attorneys broke the $176 million demand into several categories. The largest portion covers projected lifetime medical expenses, which his legal team says will be substantial given that Rosales, now 29, will require round-the-clock care, specialized equipment, and ongoing rehabilitation for decades. The claim also seeks compensation for lost future earnings, permanent disability, emotional distress, and loss of quality of life.
His attorney, Joel Robbins, framed the case in stark terms.
"Angelo did nothing wrong. He was in his own home, minding his own business, and deputies showed up and shot him based on a fake phone call. Now he will never walk again."
Robbins said the legal team intends to file a formal lawsuit if the county does not settle the claim within the statutory response window.
Sheriff Chris Nanos has not made detailed public comments about the Rosales shooting. The Pima County Sheriff's Department has not released an official use-of-force report to the public regarding the incident. The department has not publicly confirmed whether the deputies involved were placed on administrative leave after the shooting, which is standard protocol in most law enforcement agencies following an officer-involved shooting.
The claim alleges that the department failed to train deputies adequately on how to evaluate and respond to potentially fraudulent emergency calls. It also alleges the department lacked sufficient de-escalation protocols for high-risk callouts where the underlying report had not been independently verified.
Pima County officials have not publicly commented on the notice of claim. The county attorney's office, which would handle the legal defense, has not issued a statement on the matter.
The Rosales case has drawn renewed attention to the dangers swatting poses not just to targets but to the officers who respond. Across the country, swatting incidents have surged in recent years, targeting politicians, journalists, streamers, judges, and ordinary citizens. Several incidents have turned fatal.
In 2017, a swatting call in Wichita, Kansas, led police to shoot and kill Andrew Finch, an unarmed man who had no connection to the underlying dispute that prompted the hoax call. The caller in that case, Tyler Barriss, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.
Federal and state legislators have introduced bills to increase penalties for swatting, but enforcement remains difficult because callers often use technology to mask their identity and location. The FBI has described swatting as a "serious public safety threat" that diverts emergency resources and places innocent lives at risk.
Rosales's attorneys argue their client's case illustrates exactly why departments need stricter verification procedures before deploying tactical responses based solely on unverified 911 calls.
Pima County has 60 days from the filing of the notice of claim to accept, deny, or negotiate the $176 million demand. If the county denies the claim or fails to respond, Rosales's legal team can proceed with a formal civil rights lawsuit in federal court, likely under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, the federal statute that allows individuals to sue government officials for constitutional violations committed under color of law.
A federal suit would allow Rosales's attorneys to seek discovery, including body camera footage, dispatch recordings, internal communications, and use-of-force review documents. Robbins indicated that obtaining the body camera footage is a top priority.
"The video will show what happened. We are confident that when the public sees it, there will be no question that this shooting was unjustified."
Investigators will need to determine whether the deputies followed department policy on use of force, whether they had any independent basis to believe Rosales was armed or dangerous beyond the contents of the fake call, and whether the department's tactical response was proportionate to the information available at the time.
Rosales, meanwhile, continues physical therapy and medical treatment in Tucson. His family has described the toll as devastating, both physically and financially. Before the shooting, Rosales worked in construction. His attorneys say he will never be able to return to manual labor.
The case sits at the intersection of two urgent issues: the rise of swatting as a weapon and the standard of force law enforcement applies when responding to unverified emergency calls. If Rosales's account holds up in court, it raises hard questions about whether deputies treated a fake call as a license to shoot first and verify later.
No criminal charges have been filed against any of the deputies involved. The Pima County Attorney's Office has not publicly stated whether it reviewed the shooting for potential criminal liability. Authorities have not said whether any internal disciplinary action was taken.
For Rosales, the legal process is just beginning. For Pima County taxpayers, a $176 million judgment or settlement would be among the largest in the county's history.
A man answered his own front door and lost the use of his legs. Somebody placed a fake phone call, and somebody else pulled a real trigger. The courts will sort out who pays for that. The question worth asking is why it happened at all.
