Oregon college student Maverick Lyon being shot by Albany police (Stritmatter Law/Alicia LeDuc Montgomery).
A 21-year-old college student escaped his knife-wielding brother's grip inside their parents' Oregon home and then ran outside for help — where cops proceeded to shoot him at least five times, a lawsuit says.
"You shot the wrong guy," Maverick Lyon allegedly yelled at police officers after they shot him outside his family's home in North Albany, according to a civil complaint obtained by Law&Crime.
"He was holding me hostage," Maverick allegedly said about his older brother, John Dakota Lyon, who goes by Dakota.
Dakota Lyon, 27, was sentenced in June to six years and five months in state prison after pleading guilty to attempted kidnapping, unlawful use of a weapon and coercion, according to court records.
Dakota went after his brother with a knife on Jan. 6, 2026, at their parents' home while their parents were at work, the complaint says. Maverick Lyon — who is suing the city of Albany, Albany police officers and Benton County — was shot at least five times in the chest, back and face after fleeing through the back door of the residence. His brother was still armed and standing in the doorway when officers opened fire, the complaint alleges.
"Albany Police responded … by surrounding the Lyon house, identifying Maverick and Dakota through the window, ignoring Maverick's pleas of mouthing 'Help me!' to the officer through the window, and told Maverick to come outside and drop the knife Maverick was holding for self-defense," the complaint says. "Documents show the police were familiar with Dakota and knew at the time that Maverick was the victim, not the suspect."
Maverick Lyon, a senior at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire and a business major who played lacrosse, was home with Dakota Lyon when their parents contacted Benton County officials to report that Dakota, who was released from prison in November 2025 for a prior assault and weapons conviction, was displaying "drug-induced behavior," the complaint says.
Their father told the dispatcher that Dakota Lyon was shirtless, wearing pajama pants and threatening his younger brother with a knife, according to the complaint. He allegedly described Maverick Lyon as wearing a gray, long-sleeved shirt.
Albany police officers arrived after Dakota Lyon allegedly grabbed a large kitchen knife and took Maverick Lyon hostage, the complaint says. They went around to the back of the house after not getting a response at the front door, the complaint says. They allegedly looked through a window in the back door and saw the brothers inside; Dakota Lyon was shirtless.
"Maverick was wearing the grey longsleeve shirt that distinguished him from his shirtless brother," the complaint says, adding that he escaped from Dakota Lyon's grip and grabbed a knife to defend himself.
"As Maverick opened the door, his left arm extended outward with his hand open and his palm facing down," the complaint says. "In his right hand, a knife was visible — the knife he had picked up for self defense against Dakota. As soon as the door was open, and before Maverick crossed the threshold of the door, he dropped the knife. Video shows the knife fell to the brick walkway."
Police opened fire on Maverick Lyon as he ran outside, crouching with both empty hands extended so officers could see he was unarmed, the complaint alleges. Officers shouted "drop it" and shot Maverick Lyon at least five times, according to the complaint.
Surveillance footage allegedly shows that the knife had already been discarded before officers fired. One of the officers shouted, "Maverick, get on your stomach," as the injured student lay bleeding on the ground, according to the complaint.
Maverick was rushed to the hospital and underwent multiple surgeries, according to his attorneys with LeDuc Montgomery LLC. The shooting cost him the spring semester of his senior year and his final collegiate lacrosse season, the law firm says.
"This case is about more than a terrible mistake," attorney Alicia LeDuc Montgomery said in a statement. "It is about the constitutional limits on deadly force, the obligation to protect innocent people, and the devastating consequences when law enforcement fails to distinguish someone asking for help from someone posing a threat. The public deserves answers, and Maverick deserves justice."
The Albany Police Department could not immediately be reached for comment. A spokesperson for the city of Albany declined to comment when reached by The Oregonian.