FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 4, 2026
Stritmatter Law files civil rights lawsuit on behalf of college lacrosse player Maverick Lyon, who survived catastrophic injuries after police opened fire on the wrong person.
ALBANY, OREGON — A college lacrosse player who survived being shot at least five times by Albany police officers after escaping a hostage situation inside his family’s home has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Albany, two police officers (Matt Thomas and Engle Diaz), Benton County, and a county probation officer.
Maverick Lyon was a business major senior and standout lacrosse player at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire. He returned home to Albany for winter break. His parents were providing housing to his troubled older brother, Dakota Lyon.
Allegedly Benton County probation officials had been warned the previous day that Dakota, who was under post-prison supervision, had relapsed into drug use and was exhibiting increasingly dangerous behavior. Despite the family’s requests for intervention, the assigned probation officer allegedly failed to take protective action.
The lawsuit alleges that on January 6, 2026, Dakota suffered a mental health incident in the kitchen and took Maverick hostage at knifepoint. Their father witnessed the incident on the home’s security camera and called 911.
According to the complaint, Albany police arrived knowing that Dakota was the armed suspect and Maverick was the hostage. Officers also had information that Dakota was shirtless, while Maverick wore a long-sleeved shirt.
As officers surrounded the house, Maverick repeatedly mouthed “Help me!” through a window to Officer Thomas. Maverick by that time had also secured a knife hoping he would not need to use it against his brother.
Maverick escaped through the back door. He dropped the knife he had been holding onto the brick patio. Maverick stepped outside with his hands extended where officers could see them.
Despite confronting an armed, barricaded suspect holding a hostage, officers allegedly failed to establish incident command, coordinate a tactical response, communicate critical information about the suspect and victim, or attempt meaningful de-escalation.
As Maverick emerged, Officer Thomas fired twice. Officer Diaz fired five times, continuing to shoot even after Maverick fell to the ground, curled into a fetal position, and faced away from the officers.
The complaint alleges that surveillance video establishes Maverick had already dropped the knife before either officer fired a shot. As Maverick lay bleeding from gunshot wounds to his chest, back, and face, officers allegedly failed to provide immediate medical assistance. Instead, they ordered him onto his stomach and handcuffed him.
Maverick told officers, “you shot the wrong guy, he was holding me hostage.” Dakota stood inside the doorway to the home armed with his knife.
Maverick was rushed to Samaritan Corvallis General Hospital for an emergency eight-hour operation. Surgeons removed half of his right lung, his spleen, his appendix, and performed extensive reconstructive surgery on his digestive system.
Maverick spent four weeks hospitalized and months undergoing further treatment and rehabilitation. He missed his final collegiate lacrosse season and the spring semester of his senior year.
“I have always believed that when you call 911, help is coming. I never imagined that making that call would leave me wondering if my son was going to survive,” explained Maverick’s parents, David and Laura, in a statement. “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. Most importantly, we want Maverick to have every opportunity to heal, move forward, and live the life he deserves.”
The lawsuit asserts federal Fourth Amendment excessive force claims against Officers Thomas and Diaz, state law battery and negligence claims against the officers and City of Albany, and negligence claims against Benton County and probation officer Joshua Hall. You can read the complaint below.
“This case is about more than a terrible mistake,” LeDuc Montgomery added. “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.”
Legal Representation
Maverick Lyon is represented by Alicia LeDuc Montgomery of Stritmatter Law and Jesse Merrithew of Levi Merrithew Horst PC.
Media Contact
Alicia LeDuc Montgomery
Civil Rights Partner | Stritmatter Law
alicialm@stritmatter.com
(360) 723-1986
www.stritmatter.com
The allegations described in this release are drawn from the plaintiff’s complaint and have not been adjudicated in court.
