A college athlete was left doubled over in agony after police shot him five times and used a Taser on him, allegedly mistaking him for his drug-addicted brother, who was armed with a knife.
Maverick Lyon, 21, could be heard telling officers surrounding him outside his family’s North Albany, Oregon, home on January 6: “You guys shot the wrong guy — he was holding me hostage.”
Despite his cries, officers appeared to continue ordering Lyon to roll onto his stomach while placing him in handcuffs.
Lyon is suing the Albany Police Department and a Benton County probation officer over the shooting, which put him in the hospital for a month and required multiple surgeries, including the removal of part of his right lung.
The injuries forced him to miss the spring semester at St Anselm College in New Hampshire and his senior lacrosse season, although he has since returned to the field this semester.
His attorneys say he still faces further orthopedic and reconstructive plastic surgery.
The lawsuit accuses two officers of violating Lyon’s Fourth Amendment rights through excessive force, battery and negligence. It claims police opened fire even after he dropped the kitchen knife he had been carrying to protect himself, KOIN reports.
Lyon’s attorney, Alicia LeDuc Montgomery, told The Oregonian that the case highlights the “devastating consequences” that can follow when officers fail to identify who is actually posing a threat.
Maverick Lyon, 21, was shot by Albany police on January 6 after officers allegedly mistook him for his drug-addicted brother, who was carrying a knife. 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 at the family property after he was released from prison in November 2025.
According to the lawsuit, Dakota had battled drug addiction after undergoing knee surgery. On January 5, the day before the shooting, his parents notified Benton County officials that he had relapsed and was using drugs again.
A probation officer visited the property and spoke with Dakota, but the lawsuit alleges that he was not taken into custody.
Dakota left the home afterward and did not return that night, the suit says.
He came back at about 10 a.m. the next day, while his parents were at work, and found Maverick in the kitchen making breakfast. The brothers ate together before Dakota called their father at approximately 10.28 a.m.
The lawsuit says the roughly 20-minute conversation became increasingly tense, with Dakota growing “delusional and nonsensical.”
After ending the call, Dakota allegedly grabbed a large kitchen knife, restrained Maverick and announced that he was holding him hostage. He reportedly claimed that various people, including their father, were trying to kill him.
The lawsuit says Lyon ran from the house crouched down with both hands extended, showing officers that he was unarmed, before he was Tased and shot
Officers went to the North Albany home after the brothers’ father called 911 to report that Dakota was threatening Maverick. Officer Matt Thomas approached from the rear and looked inside through a window
Maverick initially begged his brother to let him go, according to the lawsuit.
When that failed, he allegedly tried to calm Dakota by saying he was on his side. He then picked up a kitchen knife to defend himself, the suit claims.
David Lyon became alarmed when Maverick stopped answering his phone calls.
He remotely accessed the family’s Ring security system and saw Dakota pointing a knife at his younger brother.
At 10.48 a.m., the father called 911 and reported that his older son — who was shirtless, wearing pajama pants and under post-prison supervision — was threatening Maverick with a knife.
He told dispatchers that Maverick was wearing a gray, long-sleeved shirt.
Albany officers Kenny Allin and Jon Wymore arrived and knocked on the front door, but no one answered.
A short time later, Officer Matt Thomas arrived and went to the back of the home without first conferring with the officers at the front, the lawsuit alleges.
Thomas was able to look through a window near the back door and see the two men inside wearing clothing that matched the description provided by their father.
Maverick’s brother, John “Dakota” Lyon, pleaded guilty to attempted kidnapping, unlawful use of a weapon and coercion over the incident
In disturbing Ring camera footage, Thomas can be seen approaching the rear door and radioing: “We have a male back here, still has a knife in his hand.”
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“He’s inside the house. I can see him here,” Thomas continued as he pulled at the door and drew his Glock.
The lawsuit says Maverick saw Thomas through the window and repeatedly mouthed “Help me!” but did not receive a response.
Thomas then shouted for the person inside 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, who remained shirtless and armed, reportedly told the officers they were in “a bad situation, a brotherly situation.”
The footage shows Thomas acknowledging the brothers’ dispute while shouting, “Step out here,” without making clear which man he was addressing.
As Thomas moved slightly away from the doorway, Maverick decided to flee, according to the lawsuit.
Still wearing his gray long-sleeved shirt, he opened the door with his left hand, dropped the knife and ran outside in a crouched position with both hands extended and empty, the suit says.
The footage appears to show an officer immediately using a Taser on the college athlete, sending him to the ground.
Thomas could then be heard yelling at Lyon to “drop it,” even though the knife was already lying on the patio, before firing two rounds.
Diaz also opened fire after Lyon had dropped the weapon. Between the two officers, Lyon was shot five times.
As Lyon lay bleeding, Thomas called him by name and ordered: “Maverick, get on your stomach.”
Dakota remained in the doorway with the knife in his hand.
“Oh my God,” he could be heard saying. “What are you doing?”
Lyon then told the officers they had “got the wrong guy,” adding: “I can’t move, you guys shot me.”
The shooting caused Lyon to miss the spring semester at St Anselm College and his senior lacrosse season, although he has since returned to competition. Source: GoFundMe
Lyon spent a month in the hospital and underwent extensive surgery. Portions of his lungs, appendix and spleen were removed, and he also needed reconstructive surgery on his digestive system.
After leaving the hospital, he still required feeding and waste-collection tubes, leaving his parents to provide round-the-clock care at home.
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, he said he wished he could have taken the bullets for his brother, KVAL reports.
The lawsuit attributes the shooting to poor communication among the responding officers, the absence of a coordinated plan for approaching the home and communicating with the suspect, and the failure to use the father’s clothing descriptions to distinguish Maverick from the person holding him hostage, 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 argued.
The Benton County district attorney, however, 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,” District Attorney Ryan S. Joslin said in a statement to The Oregonian.
Joslin said the officers acted on “an objectively reasonable belief” that firing was necessary to protect themselves or other officers.
He also described the outcome as “an absolute tragedy” and said he was confident the officers “would not have wished it to turn out that way.”
Lyon’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.”
The Daily Mail has contacted the city of Albany and Benton County for comment.