A 21-year-old college athlete was shot five times and Tased by police officers who allegedly mistook him for his knife-wielding brother during a hostage incident at his family home in Albany, Oregon.
Maverick Lyon was left seriously injured in the January 6 shooting after escaping from his older brother, John ‘Dakota’ Lyon, who had allegedly taken him hostage while armed with a kitchen knife.
Distressing home security footage captured Maverick collapsing in pain after officers opened fire.
Despite being shot, he could be heard telling the officers: “You guys shot the wrong guy – he was holding me hostage.”
Maverick is now suing the Albany Police Department and a Benton County probation officer, accusing two officers of excessive force, battery and negligence.
Brothers Were Together Before the Hostage Incident
The incident began while Maverick was home from college.
His parents had allowed his older brother, Dakota, to live in a separate studio apartment on their property after he was released from prison in November 2025.
Dakota had reportedly struggled with drug addiction following knee surgery.
On January 5, the day before the shooting, the brothers’ parents contacted Benton County officials to report that he had relapsed and was using drugs again.
A probation officer subsequently visited the property and spoke with Dakota but did not take him into custody, according to the lawsuit.
Dakota left the property later that day and did not return until approximately 10am on January 6, when their parents were at work.
He found Maverick in the kitchen preparing breakfast, and the brothers initially sat down and ate together.
However, the situation allegedly deteriorated after Dakota called their father at work around 10.28am.
The lawsuit states that during the approximately 20-minute conversation, Dakota became increasingly agitated, making delusional and nonsensical statements.
After ending the call, he allegedly picked up a large kitchen knife, grabbed Maverick and declared him a hostage.
He reportedly claimed that several people, including their father, were trying to kill him.
Father Calls 911 After Watching Security Footage
According to the lawsuit, Maverick initially pleaded with his brother to release him but eventually changed his approach, telling Dakota that he was on his side.
He also picked up a kitchen knife for protection.
Meanwhile, their father, David Lyon, became concerned when Maverick stopped answering his telephone calls.
He remotely accessed the family’s Ring security cameras and saw Dakota pointing a knife at his younger brother.
David contacted 911 at approximately 10.48am, informing authorities that his older son was threatening Maverick with a knife.
He described Dakota as shirtless and wearing pajama pants, adding that his son was under post-prison supervision. He also told dispatchers that Maverick was wearing a long-sleeved grey shirt.
Albany police officers Kenny Allin and Jon Wymore responded to the property and knocked on the front door but received no answer.
A third officer, Matt Thomas, arrived shortly afterwards and went directly to the back of the house without first coordinating with the officers at the front, the lawsuit alleges.
Officer Mistakes Hostage for Armed Suspect
Thomas approached the rear entrance and looked through a window, where he could see both brothers inside wearing the clothing their father had described.
In Ring camera footage, the officer can be heard communicating over his radio that a man inside the house was still holding a knife.
“We have a male back here, still has a knife in his hand,” he said.
He subsequently added: “He’s inside the house. I can see him here.”
Thomas then pulled on the door and reached for his Glock.
The lawsuit alleges that Maverick spotted the officer through the window and repeatedly mouthed the words “Help me!” but received no assistance.
Thomas began shouting instructions for the men to step away, while another officer, identified in the lawsuit as Engle Diaz, approached with his firearm drawn.
Dakota, who was still shirtless and holding the knife, reportedly told the officers that they were dealing with a “brotherly situation.”
Thomas acknowledged that there was a dispute between the brothers but continued ordering someone to come outside without clearly identifying which individual he was addressing.
Police Open Fire as Maverick Escapes
As Thomas moved slightly away from the rear entrance, Maverick decided to escape, according to the lawsuit.
The college student opened the back door with his left hand, dropped the kitchen knife and ran outside.
He was reportedly crouching with both hands extended to demonstrate that he was unarmed.
However, officers immediately Tased him, causing him to fall to the ground.
Despite the knife already being on the patio, Thomas could be heard shouting “Drop it” before firing two shots.
Diaz also opened fire, continuing to shoot Maverick until he had been struck five times.
As the injured student lay bleeding on the ground, Thomas shouted at him to roll onto his stomach.
“Maverick, get on your stomach,” the officer ordered.
Dakota remained armed with the knife in the doorway and could be heard reacting to the shooting.
“Oh my God. What are you doing?” he said.
Maverick then tried to explain the mistake to the officers surrounding him.
“You guys shot the wrong guy,” he said, adding that he could not move because he had been shot.
Officers subsequently handcuffed him as he remained injured.
Shooting Leaves College Student With Life-Changing Injuries
Maverick was rushed to hospital, where he remained for approximately one month while undergoing several major operations.
His injuries required the removal of parts of his lungs, appendix and spleen. Surgeons also reconstructed parts of his digestive system.
One of the procedures involved removing half of his right lung.
Following his discharge, Maverick still required feeding and waste tubes, leaving his parents responsible for much of his care at home.
The shooting also disrupted his education and sporting career.
He missed the spring semester at St Anselm College in New Hampshire and was unable to participate in his senior lacrosse season.
Although he eventually returned to the sport this semester, his lawyers said he still requires additional orthopedic and plastic surgery to address his facial injuries.
Brother Receives More Than Six Years in Prison
Dakota subsequently pleaded guilty to attempted kidnapping, unlawful use of a weapon and coercion in connection with the incident.
He was sentenced to six years and five months in state prison.
During his court appearance, he reportedly expressed regret over what happened and said he wished he could have taken the bullets instead of his younger brother.
Lawsuit Accuses Officers of Failing to Identify the Brothers
Maverick’s lawsuit alleges that the officers failed to communicate effectively and lacked a coordinated strategy for handling the hostage situation.
It also accuses them of ignoring crucial information provided by David about the brothers’ clothing, which could have helped establish who was holding the knife and who was being threatened.
The legal action argues that Maverick had already dropped his knife and was visibly attempting to escape when officers used a Taser and opened fire.
His attorney, Jesse Merrithew, criticised the officers’ approach to the incident.
“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,” he argued.
Attorney Alicia LeDuc Montgomery described the case as highlighting the consequences of officers failing to distinguish between a person posing a threat and someone being threatened.
The lawsuit names the Albany Police Department and a Benton County probation officer, alleging violations of Maverick’s Fourth Amendment rights, excessive force, battery and negligence.
District Attorney Rules Police Shooting Was Justified
Despite the allegations, Benton County District Attorney Ryan S Joslin determined that the officers’ use of firearms was justified.
In a statement to the Oregonian, Joslin said officers had only fractions of a second to make decisions during the incident.
He maintained that their decision to shoot was based on an “objectively reasonable belief” that firing was necessary to protect themselves or other officers.
However, he acknowledged the seriousness of the outcome, describing it as “an absolute tragedy.”
Joslin added that he was confident the officers would not have wanted the incident to end that way.
Parents Demand Answers and Accountability
Maverick’s parents have expressed support for his decision to pursue legal action against the police department.
In a joint statement, they said they wanted answers and accountability over what happened to their son.
“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.
They added that their priority was ensuring Maverick had the opportunity to recover and rebuild his life.
His father, David, also spoke about the circumstances that led him to contact emergency services.
“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,” he said.
