College Athlete Sues After Police Shoot Him During Hostage Escape
A college lacrosse player who survived a hostage situation is now suing over what happened when he tried to get out. Maverick Lyon says Albany, Oregon, police shot him at least five times as he escaped the home where his brother had held him captive.
Lyon, 21, plays lacrosse at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire. He had returned home to Albany in January when the encounter unfolded, according to Breitbart News.
On January 6, 2026, his 27-year-old brother, Dakota, took him hostage. KPTV reported that Dakota had allegedly “relapsed on drugs and was behaving dangerously,” setting the stage for the confrontation.
During the hostage situation, Maverick grabbed a knife to protect himself from his brother. When he saw officers outside, he made a run for it. Officers allegedly opened fire as he exited the home.
Audio captured at the scene included a blunt statement from Maverick to police: “You guys shot the wrong guy.”
The central dispute is what happened to the knife as Maverick came through the doorway. His lawsuit and the account cited by prosecutors do not agree on that crucial point.
According to the lawsuit, Maverick “dropped a knife before coming out of the home with his hands extended, but officers opened fire, shooting him at least five times.” The suit also alleges that an officer kept firing after he was already on the ground.
KVAL’s description of video from the encounter presents a different sequence. The outlet reported that it “shows Maverick…exiting the home as police yell, ‘Drop it.’ As he falls to the ground, the knife drops out of his hand. Multiple officers can be heard yelling, ‘Drop the knife.’”
The Benton County District Attorney’s Office sided with the officers’ use of force. Its account held that Maverick “was still dropping the knife as he came through the door.”
That distinction matters to the competing accounts: Lyon alleges he had dropped the knife before coming outside, while prosecutors described him as still dropping it at the doorway.
The lawsuit names two officers, the City of Albany, Benton County and a county probation officer as defendants. It challenges the police response to a young man who says he was trying to escape his hostage-taker, not threaten the officers outside.