ALBANY, Ore. – Bodycam footage has exposed a nightmarish case of police gunfire that left a promising college athlete fighting for his life after officers mistook him for his knife-wielding brother during a chaotic hostage standoff at their family home.
Twenty-one-year-old Maverick Lyon, a lacrosse player at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire, was blasted at least five times by Albany Police officers on January 6, 2026, as he bolted from the residence in a desperate bid to escape his older brother, Dakota Lyon. The younger Lyon had just been held at knifepoint inside the home after Dakota, who had recently relapsed on drugs following knee surgery and a prior prison stint, turned violent and delusional.
The family’s father, monitoring the terrifying scene via Ring camera from outside the house, called 911 and specifically warned officers that Maverick was wearing a gray long-sleeve shirt while Dakota was shirtless. Moments later, Maverick seized a kitchen knife only to defend himself, then saw a chance to break free. He sprinted for the door, dropping the blade as he crossed the threshold, only to be met by a hail of police bullets.
In the raw bodycam video that has since circulated, a wounded Maverick can be heard gasping on the ground: “You guys shot the wrong guy… he was holding me hostage.” Officers surround the bleeding college student, barking commands to stay down and get on his stomach even as he tries to explain the mix-up. One officer is later heard coordinating positions while Maverick remains crumpled on the brick patio.
The young athlete spent a full month hospitalized. Surgeons removed part of his lung, his appendix, and his spleen, and performed major reconstructive work on his digestive system. He has since filed a federal lawsuit against the Albany Police Department, the involved officers, and others, alleging excessive force and claiming he posed no threat once he dropped the knife and raised his hands.
Dakota Lyon, who prosecutors say attempted to kidnap and assault his brother at knifepoint, was later sentenced to more than six years in prison. He has expressed remorse, stating he wishes he had been the one shot instead.
Benton County prosecutors previously cleared the officers, arguing the rapidly unfolding scene left them with fractions of a second to decide when a man holding a knife charged toward them. Maverick’s legal team counters that surveillance and bodycam evidence show he had already discarded the weapon and was complying when the shots rang out, continuing even after he fell.
The incident has ignited fresh debate over split-second police decisions in domestic crises, the dangers of drug-fueled family violence, and whether clearer communication could have prevented officers from nearly killing the very person who was trying to escape. For the Lyon family, a desperate call for help ended in catastrophic injuries to the son they were trying to save.
Maverick Lyon’s lawsuit remains pending.
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