Montrose Man Sentenced to More Than 15 Years for Pointing Gun at Wright County Deputies

(KNSI) — A Montrose man who pointed a gun at Wright County deputies during an attempted arrest is headed to prison.

Matthew Lyrek was sentenced to 15 years after being convicted on four counts of first-degree assault following a jury trial earlier this year.

Deputies encountered Lyrek on April 15th, 2024, at the Dollar General store in Montrose to arrest him on several warrants. The Wright County Attorney’s Office says Lyrek pulled a handgun and aimed it at the deputies. Deputies shot Lyrek and used a Taser on him, but he kept pointing the gun at deputies for several minutes, even after he had been shot. Lyrek was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center for treatment. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension reported that seven deputies used force during the incident. Wright County deputies do not wear body cameras, but squad car cameras captured portions of the incident.

Earlier court documents say Lyrek was wanted on warrants from three counties. After he was handcuffed, officers found another handgun in his waistband and two more guns, including an assault rifle, in his truck. A search of his home turned up five more guns and more than 29,000 rounds of ammunition.

In a statement, Wright County Attorney Brian Lutes thanked the deputies for responding knowing Lyrek was armed and dangerous, saying they risked their lives to keep people safe.

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