A college lacrosse player survived five gunshots from police after fleeing a knife‑point hostage crisis inside his own home.
Key points
- Maverick Lyon was shot at least five times by police after dropping a knife he had grabbed while escaping his brother’s hostage situation.
- The family’s lawsuit claims excessive force and Fourth Amendment violations, seeking damages and a jury trial.
- Albany police and the county prosecutor maintain the shooting was justified, citing an “objectively reasonable” belief of imminent danger.
Maverick Lyon, a lacrosse player at Saint Anselm College, was shot multiple times by Albany, Oregon police on Jan. 6 after he escaped a violent encounter with his brother, according to a federal civil‑rights complaint filed by his family and reported by NBC News.
The lawsuit says Dakota Lyon, who had relapsed into drug use, held Maverick at knifepoint inside the family’s Albany home. After their father saw the altercation on a security camera, he called 911. Maverick grabbed another knife in self‑defense, fled through a back door, and dropped the weapon outside. Police officers then shot him at least five times in the chest, back and face, despite his compliance with commands to drop the knife.
Family’s Account of the Jan. 6 Incident
Maverick spent four weeks in the hospital, undergoing removal of half his right lung, his spleen, his appendix and extensive reconstructive surgery on his digestive system. His parents, David and Laura Lyon, said they called police to protect their son, only to have the responders “nearly take his life.”
Albany Police Department issued a statement saying officers rendered medical aid after the shooting and that two officers fired their weapons after encountering a person with a knife. Benton County District Attorney Ryan S. Joslin, who previously ruled the shooting justified, said the officers acted on an “objectively reasonable belief” that lethal force was necessary to protect lives.
Police and Prosecutor Statements
The civil‑rights suit alleges excessive force, battery, negligence and violations of Maverick’s Fourth Amendment rights, seeking a jury trial and damages. It also notes that Dakota Lyon was later sentenced to more than six years in prison for the same incident.
Benton County declined to comment on the pending litigation, and the city of Albany has not responded to requests for comment. The family says they want “answers, accountability, and changes that help prevent another family from experiencing the pain ours has.”
Reader questions
What triggered the police shooting of Maverick Lyon?
According to the lawsuit, after a domestic disturbance in which his brother held him at knifepoint, Maverick escaped, dropped a knife outside the home and complied with police commands, but officers still fired, striking him at least five times.
What injuries did Maverick Lyon sustain?
He required removal of half his right lung, his spleen, his appendix and extensive reconstructive surgery on his digestive system, after spending four weeks in the hospital.
What legal claims are being made in the civil‑rights case?
The complaint alleges excessive force, battery, negligence and violations of the Fourth Amendment, and seeks a jury trial and monetary damages.
Source: nbcnews.com
