A college athlete was left hunched over in agony after police shot him five times and used a Taser, allegedly mistaking him for his drug-addicted older brother, who was armed with a knife.
Maverick Lyon, 21, could be heard telling officers surrounding him outside his family’s home in North Albany, Oregon, on January 6: “You guys shot the wrong guy — he was holding me hostage.”
Despite his pleas, officers ordered Lyon to roll onto his stomach while they restrained and handcuffed him.
Lyon has since filed a lawsuit against the Albany Police Department and a Benton County probation officer. The shooting kept him in hospital for a month and required multiple operations, including the removal of part of his right lung.
The injuries also forced him to miss the spring semester at St Anselm College in New Hampshire and the final lacrosse season of his senior year. He was able to return to the sport this semester.
His attorneys say he still faces additional orthopedic and plastic surgeries to repair damage to his face.
The lawsuit alleges that two officers violated Lyon’s Fourth Amendment rights through excessive force, battery and negligence when they opened fire. It claims he had already dropped the kitchen knife he carried for protection, KOIN reports.
Lyon’s attorney, Alicia LeDuc Montgomery, said the case highlights the “devastating consequences when law enforcement fails to distinguish someone posing a threat,” she told the Oregonian.
Maverick Lyon, 21, was shot by Albany police after officers allegedly mistook him for his drug-addicted older brother, who was holding a knife, on January 6. Source: GoFundMe
Home security footage captures Lyon doubled over after being shot by police
The incident unfolded while Lyon was home from college. His parents had allowed his older brother, John “Dakota” Lyon, to stay in a separate studio apartment on their property after he was released from prison in November 2025.
According to the lawsuit, Dakota had developed a drug dependency after undergoing knee surgery. On January 5, one day before the shooting, the brothers’ parents notified Benton County officials that he had relapsed and was using drugs again.
A probation officer visited the residence and spoke with Dakota, but the lawsuit claims he was not taken into custody.
Dakota subsequently left the property and did not return that night, the complaint states.
He came back at about 10am the next morning, while his parents were at work, and found Maverick in the kitchen making breakfast. The brothers ate together before Dakota called their father at work at approximately 10.28am.
The conversation lasted around 20 minutes. During the call, Dakota allegedly became increasingly agitated, “delusional and nonsensical,” according to the lawsuit.
After ending the call, Dakota allegedly picked up a large kitchen knife, grabbed his brother and announced that Maverick was his hostage. He reportedly claimed that people, including their father, were trying to kill him.
The lawsuit says Lyon ran from the house crouched down with both empty hands extended, but was Tased and shot by officers
Police responded after the brothers’ father called 911 to report that Dakota was threatening Maverick. Officer Matt Thomas approached from the rear of the home and looked inside through a window
Maverick initially pleaded with his brother to let him go, the lawsuit says.
When that failed, he allegedly tried to calm Dakota by insisting he was on his side. Maverick then picked up a kitchen knife to defend himself, according to the complaint.
Concerned that Maverick had stopped answering his calls, their father, David Lyon, checked the family’s Ring security footage from work.
The video showed Dakota pointing a knife at his younger brother.
David called 911 at 10.48am and told dispatchers that his older son, who was shirtless and wearing pajama pants, was under post-prison supervision and threatening Maverick with a knife.
He also described Maverick as wearing a gray, long-sleeve shirt.
Albany officers Kenny Allin and Jon Wymore arrived first and knocked on the front door, but no one answered.
Officer Matt Thomas arrived soon afterward and went around to the rear of the property without speaking to the officers at the front, the lawsuit alleges.
The complaint says Thomas looked through a window near the back door and saw the two men inside wearing clothing that matched their father’s description.
John “Dakota” Lyon pleaded guilty to attempted kidnapping, unlawful use of a weapon and coercion over the incident
In disturbing Ring doorbell footage, Thomas approaches the rear entrance and radios: “We have a male back here, still has a knife in his hand.”
“He’s inside the house. I can see him here,” Thomas continues before pulling at the door and drawing his Glock.
Maverick allegedly saw Thomas through the window and repeatedly mouthed, “Help me!” but received no response.
Thomas then ordered the men to “step away” and radioed that he could see the knife. Another officer, identified in the lawsuit as Engle Diaz, arrived and drew his weapon.
Dakota, still shirtless and holding the knife, reportedly told officers they were facing “a bad situation, a brotherly situation.”
The footage shows Thomas acknowledging the brothers’ dispute while shouting, “Step out here,” without clarifying which brother he wanted to approach.
As Thomas moved slightly away from the doorway, Maverick decided to flee, according to the lawsuit.
Wearing the gray shirt described by his father, Maverick opened the back door with his left hand, dropped the knife and ran outside in a crouched position with both hands extended and empty, the complaint states.
Almost immediately after he stepped onto the patio, one of the officers fired a Taser, causing the college athlete to fall.
Thomas could still be heard yelling at the 21-year-old to “drop it,” even though the knife was already on the patio, before firing two shots.
Diaz also opened fire. Together, the officers shot Maverick five times after he had dropped the weapon, the lawsuit alleges.
As Maverick lay bleeding on the ground, Thomas called him by name and ordered, “Maverick, get on your stomach.”
Dakota remained in the doorway, still holding the knife.
“Oh my God,” he could be heard saying. “What are you doing?”
Maverick then told officers they had “got the wrong guy,” adding: “I can’t move, you guys shot me.”
The shooting forced Lyon to miss the spring semester at St Anselm College and his senior lacrosse season, although he returned to play this semester. Source: GoFundMe
Maverick spent a month in hospital and underwent extensive surgery. Parts of his lungs, appendix and spleen were removed, and doctors also performed reconstructive surgery on his digestive system.
After returning home, he required feeding and waste tubes, leaving his parents to provide around-the-clock care.
Dakota later pleaded guilty to attempted kidnapping, unlawful use of a weapon and coercion. He was sentenced to six years and five months in state prison.
In court, Dakota said he wished he could have taken the bullets meant for his brother, KVAL reports.
The lawsuit alleges that poor communication among the responding officers, the absence of a coordinated strategy and the failure to use the brothers’ clothing descriptions contributed to the shooting. It claims officers did not properly determine which man was the hostage and which posed the threat, according to the Oregonian.
“Every police officer is trained that time and tactics are the keys to safely defusing crises, and these officers rushed in with no plan at all,” attorney Jesse Merrithew said.
However, Benton County District Attorney Ryan S. Joslin determined that the officers’ use of deadly force was justified.
“In this case, the officers, in real time, had only fractions of a second to decide how to act,” Joslin said in a statement to the Oregonian.
He said the officers fired because they held “an objectively reasonable belief” that doing so was necessary to protect themselves or other officers.
Joslin also described the result as “an absolute tragedy” and said he believed the officers “would not have wished it to turn out that way.”
Maverick’s parents said they support their son’s decision to pursue legal action.
“We cannot change what happened that day, but we want answers, accountability and changes that help prevent another family from experiencing the pain ours has,” they said in a joint statement.
“Most importantly, we want Maverick to have every opportunity to heal, move forward and live the life he deserves.”
David Lyon added: “I called the police that day because I wanted to protect Maverick, and instead, the very people I called for help ended up nearly taking his life.”
Our News Outlet has contacted the city of Albany and Benton County for comment.
