MONTROSE, Minn. — Court documents filed in Wright County identify the man shot by deputies in Montrose Monday.
A felony arrest warrant issued April 2 for fleeing a police officer and making terrorist threats names 36-year-old Matthew Thomas Lyrek as the subject wanted by law enforcement. Wright County Captain Ryan Ferguson confirms that Lyrek was indeed the man who was shot outside the Dollar General store as deputies tried to take him into custody.
The incident unfolded outside the store around 1 p.m. Monday. Employees at Dollar General told KARE 11 that the suspect came in to buy chips, soda and pizza and was cracking jokes before the incident.
The Wright County Sheriff's Office said deputies met Lyrek as he left the store and the suspect refused to comply with their demands. Lyrek allegedly pulled a gun and deputies attempted to use less lethal force, but then shot the suspect after he continued to resist.
Law enforcement performed first aid on Lyrek until an ambulance crew arrived and took him to Hennepin County Medical Center.
A Wright County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson says deputies did try to arrest this suspect at his home previously but encountered threats and hostility, so they decided to go with a different approach.
The spokesperson says the department was hoping to avoid an hours-long standoff at the suspect's home, which could have put the suspect, the community and deputies in harm's way.
A criminal complaint filed by prosecutors in Wright County charges Lyrek with fleeing a police officer, making threats of violence, and obstructing the legal process in connection with a previous incident that took place March 29. Wright County deputies were looking for Lyrek on active warrants from two counties for violating an order for protection and spotted him in the driveway of a residence in Montrose.
Lyrek climbed into his truck and the deputies turned on their lights and sirens attempting to stop him, but he kept driving. Eventually, the complaint says, Lyrek pulled into the driveway of his home and refused to exit the truck. Deputies parked at the end of the driveway and say they told him multiple times that he was under arrest, but Lyrek did not surrender. The deputies say Lyrek told them he was armed, and threatened that either an officer would be shot or he would be.
After almost 40 minutes trying to de-escalate the situation, law enforcement cleared the scene and left Lyrek's residence for "safety purposes."
The complaint said Lyrek has four pending cases for violating an order of protection.
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