A college athlete was seen doubled over in pain after he was shot five times and Tased by police officers who mistook him for his drug-addicted, knife-wielding brother.
asserted
who → see → brother
Maverick Lyon, 21, could then be heard telling the police officers that surrounded him outside his family's home in North Albany, Oregon on January 6: 'You guys shot the wrong guy - he was holding me hostage.'
uncertain
he → hear → me
But the cops seemed to double down on their efforts, yelling at Lyon to roll over as they handcuffed him.
asserted
they → seem → him
Lyon is now suing the Albany Police Department in Oregon and a Benton County probation officer over the shooting, which left him in the hospital for one month as he underwent extensive surgeries – including the removal of half his right lung.
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he → sue → lung
He wound up missing the spring semester at St Anselm College in New Hampshire, as well as his senior lacrosse season – though he was able to play again this semester.
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he → wind → Hampshire
Still, his facial injuries will require orthopedic and plastic surgery, his lawyers said.
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lawyers → require → surgery
Lyon now alleges that two police officers violated his Fourth Amendment rights through use of excessive force, battery and negligence when they fired at him – even though he dropped the kitchen knife he was carrying in self-defense, KOIN reports.
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KOIN → allege → defense
The case is about the 'devastating consequences when law enforcement fails to distinguish someone posing a threat,' his lawyer Alicia LeDuc Montgomery told the Oregonian.
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lawyer → fail → Oregonian
Maverick Lyon, 21, was shot by police in Albany, Oregon who mistook him for his drug-addicted, knife-wielding brother on January 6.
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who → shoot → January
Distressing home security footage shows Maverick doubled over in pain following the shooting
The tragedy began when Lyon was home from college, while his parents allowed his older brother, John 'Dakota' Lyon, to live in a separate studio apartment at their home following his release from prison in November 2025.
asserted
brother → show → November
Dakota had struggled with drug abuse following a knee surgery, and on January 5, just one day before the shooting, the brothers' parents alerted Benton County officials that he had relapsed and was on drugs again, according to the lawsuit.
uncertain
he → struggle → lawsuit
A probation officer then visited the home and spoke with Dakota, but did not take him into custody, the suit contends.
asserted
suit → visit → custody
Instead, it said, Dakota left the house and failed to return home that night.
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Dakota → say → house
He then came back at around 10am the following morning, while his and Maverick's parents were at work, and found his brother in the kitchen preparing breakfast.
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parents → come → breakfast
The two brothers then sat and ate together.
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brothers → sit → ?
Following the morning meal, Dakota called their father at work at around 10.28am.
asserted
Dakota → follow → 10.28am
During the roughly 20-minute call, the lawsuit says, Dakota became agitated and 'delusional and nonsensical.'
When he then hung up, he grabbed a large kitchen knife, seized his brother and declared him a hostage, ranting that people, including their father, were trying to kill him, the lawsuit claims.
uncertain
lawsuit → say → him
Maverick ran out of the house crouching with both empty hands extended so the officers could see he was unarmed when he was Tased and shot
Police officers responded to the North Albany home after Maverick and his brother's father called 911 to report that his older son was threatening Maverick.
uncertain
son → run → Maverick
Police Officer Matt Thomas approached the house through the back, where he could peek in through the window
Maverick pleaded with his brother to release him, the lawsuit says.
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lawsuit → approach → him
When that didn't work, it says, he changed his tactic and told Dakota he was on his side, at which point Maverick picked up a kitchen knife for his own protection.
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Maverick → work → protection
Meanwhile, their father, David Lyon, grew concerned that Maverick stopped answering his calls.
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Maverick → grow → calls
So he checked the family's Ring security camera footage remotely and saw Dakota pointing a knife at his brother.
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Dakota → check → brother
The worried father then called 911 at 10.48am, reporting that his older son, who was shirtless, wearing pajama pants and who was on post-prison supervision, was threatening his younger brother with a knife.
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who → call → knife
He detailed that his younger son was wearing a long-sleeve gray shirt.
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son → detail → shirt
Albany police officers Kenny Allin and Jon Wymore then rushed to the scene and knocked on the front door, receiving no response.
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officers → rush → response
A third police officer, Matt Thomas, arrived a short time later and went directly to the back of the house without speaking with the cops out front, the lawsuit states.
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lawsuit → arrive → front
Through the back door window, it says, Thomas was able to see the two men inside the house wearing the attire their father had described.
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father → say → attire
Maverick's brother, John 'Dakota' Lyon, pleaded guilty to attempted kidnapping, unlawful use of a weapon and coercion in connection with the incident
In harrowing Ring doorbell camera footage, Thomas could be seen approaching the back door of the Lyons' family home and radioing: 'We have a male back here, still has a knife in his hand.
uncertain
We → plead → hand
I can see him here,' he continued, as he pulled on the door and grabbed his Glock.
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he → see → Glock
Inside the house, the lawsuit says, Maverick saw Thomas through the window and repeatedly mouthed 'Help me!' but received no response.
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Maverick → say → response
The cop then yelled orders to 'step away' noting on his radio that he saw the knife as another officer, identified in the lawsuit as Engle Diaz, approached and drew his gun.
asserted
officer → yell → gun
At one point, the suit said, Dakota, who was still shirtless and holding a knife, yelled to the officers that they 'are in a bad situation, a brotherly situation.'
Thomas could be seen in the footage acknowledging the brothers' dispute as he barked orders to 'Step out here,' without specifying which brother he was addressing.
As the officer then backed slightly away from the door, Maverick decided to make a run for it, the lawsuit says.
uncertain
lawsuit → say → it
Still wearing his gray, long-sleeve shirt, he opened the back door with his left hand, dropped the knife and ran out, crouching with both empty hands extended so the officers could see he was unarmed, the lawsuit states.
uncertain
lawsuit → wear → knife
But almost immediately as he stepped outside, the footage shows, one of the officers Tased the college athlete, causing him to fall to the ground.
asserted
him → step → ground
Still, Thomas could be heard shouting at the 21-year-old to 'drop it' even though the knife was already on the back patio as he fired two shots.
uncertain
he → hear → shots
Diaz also fired at Maverick after he dropped the knife and continued firing, shooting a total of five times.
asserted
he → fire → times
As Maverick then lay on the ground bleeding, Thomas called him by his first name, yelling: 'Maverick, get on your stomach.'
Dakota, meanwhile, was still armed with the knife and stood in the doorway.
'Oh my God,' he could be heard in the background.
uncertain
he → lie → background
What are you doing?'
asserted
you → do → What
At that point, Maverick informs the police that they 'got the wrong guy,' and explains: 'I can't move, you guys shot me.'
Maverick wound up missing the spring semester at St Anselm College in New Hampshire, as well as his senior lacrosse season – though he was able to play again this semester.
asserted
he → inform → Hampshire
Maverick went on to be hospitalized for a month, during which time he required extensive surgeries, resulting in the removal of parts of his lungs, appendix and spleen.
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he → go → lungs
…and 15 more, not listed.
The Aporia
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