Montrose Dollar General shooting: Search warrant sheds new details

MONTROSE, Minn. (FOX 9) - The man who was shot by a deputy outside the Montrose, Minn. Dollar General store this week was wanted in connection to a domestic abuse case, a new search warrant outlines.

The search warrant filed on Wednesday identifies the man shot by deputies as Matthew Lyrek. Deputies were seeking permission to search Lyrek's home, located down the road from the Dollar General after Monday's shooting.

As the warrant spells out, Wright County deputies were familiar with Lyrek before the recent confrontation. The warrant says deputies had responded to a domestic situation involving Lyrek in January 2023, in which Lyrek was armed with a gun. The situation developed into a standoff.

The warrant alleges the Wright County Sheriff's Office had also received reports from members of the public concerned with "Lyrek's anti-government posts on Facebook" which later blamed the Wright County Sheriff for Lyrek's former partner seeking a restraining order against him after the January 2023 incident.

By the time authorities encountered Lyrek this past Monday, he had several arrest warrants out. Wright County deputies had previously tried to arrest Lyrek, with no success.

Deputies said Monday they attempted to arrest a man outside the Dollar General but he refused to comply and showed a gun. Deputies said they attempted to use less-lethal force, but the man continued to resist and a deputy fired shots after Lyrek again brandished the gun. A witness told FOX 9 that deputies used a Taser first before shots were fired.

Lyrek was rushed to the hospital for treatment.

After the shooting, deputies sought permission to search Lyrek's home, citing their belief that he "may have additional firearms, ammunition, and other dangerous items kept at his residence."