Stand with Matthew: Recovery and Justice Fund

Hi my name is Katie Laswell and I am Matthew’s sister. So many of you have asked how you can donate and support Matt through his recovery.

On April 17th, Matt was shot by an off-duty Tucson police officer while experiencing a traumatic mental health crisis where he feared for his life. He sustained life threatening injuries because of the shooting.

Matt saw several strangers trying to break into his apartment and called 911 several times begging for help while also shouting “help me” from his apartment. He also armed himself with a knife to protect himself. A woman who lives at the apartment complex heard Matt crying out for help and went to see what was wrong. She saw Matt, and began talking to him through the window of his apartment, and promised not to leave until help arrived. At the same time, an off-duty officer in plain clothes heard Matt yelling for help. That officer then took his gun out and crept up to the woman talking to Matt. He motioned for her to get away from the window without identifying himself to her or Matt. He never spoke a single word to Matt during the entire incident. Never asked him what was going on, or if he was safe, or why he needed help. The officer proceeded to move the woman and himself around the corner and out of Matt’s sight. Sill terrified, and now wondering where the woman who said she would not leave had gone, Matt exited his apartment to look for her. It was at that moment the off-duty officer saw Matt and fired a single round, shooting him in the shoulder. The trajectory of the bullet shows Matt would have been turning away from the officer when the gun was fired.

Matt was rushed to the hospital with life threatening injuries and placed under police custody, meaning no one from the family could see him or receive crucial updates on his prognosis. The trauma team spent 7 minutes resuscitating him before his heart started beating again. He underwent multiple surgeries which resulted in removal of the middle lobe of his left lung, a broken sternum in 2 places, and multiple broken vertebrae. He spent over 7 weeks in the hospital with half of that time being unable to speak to or have visits from his family.

We immediately hired both a criminal and civil attorney to clear Matt’s name, and after the investigation, the Grand Jury returned the decision NOT to indict him and all charges have been dropped. The officer who shot Matt has returned to work.

Matt is starting from scratch now because of this unwarranted shooting. His family moved him out of his apartment and he is unable to work. Matt has months of outpatient recovery ahead of him, and all funds raised will go towards the surmounting hospital bills and attorney fees piling after this lifechanging incident. All your support means the world to his entire family and especially to Matt.