Stillwater man gets 25-year sentence for robbery & arson

  STILLWATER — A 36-year-old Stillwater man has been given a 25-year prison term for robbing a convenience store and setting his own apartment on fire while he was on probation for arson and assault with a dangerous weapon.

   Cassidy Mal Lyss, who has also been known as Nathan H. Click, was sentenced by Payne County Associate District Judge Michael Kulling, who accepted his guilty pleas in October.

   Lyss has been in custody since his arrest at 10 am on Nov. 10, 2025, at the Remington Ranch Apartments at 1815 N. Boomer Rd. where he repeatedly asked police to kill him, Stillwater Police Officer Miguel Najera wrote in an affidavit.

   “I tried to convince Cassidy to come out, but he would not. I requested Lt. Bruce to have less lethal options from the tactical team deployed, and a short time later the Special Operations Team was activated.

   “I attempted to speak with Cassidy for around 10 minutes initially, and he told me to ‘shoot him and kill him, you’re going to kill me before you put me in handcuffs, I swear I’m going to take one of you guys with me, I will come at you with scissors, and you’re going to kill me, I’m going to set this place on fire and burn alive.

   “Cassidy then asked about going to jail (for the robbery at 4 am that day), and if there was anything to avoid going to jail, and I said no. Cassidy then said, ‘there’s nothing I can do to avoid jail, okay then I guess I’m going to set this place on fire and burn alive.

   “At that time, at around 9:11 am, he began to light a chair on fire in the living room, which did catch fire and smoke began to fill up the living room, and Cassidy retreated to the back bedroom. Residents from occupied apartments (close by) had to be evacuated. Due to the shattered glass and the wind at the time, I believe the wind blew the fire out.

   “For the next 40 minutes, I attempted to continue to negotiate with Cassidy to come out as additional resources responded. I informed Cassidy numerous times that he was under arrest and to exit the apartment, but he refused.

   “Cassidy continued to yell that he was going to set everything on fire, that he wanted to die, asking us to kill him and continued to say he was not going to come out…At this time, I observed thick black smoke coming out of the apartment and believed it was on fire. I ran toward (a woman’s) apartment and told her she needed to get out.

   “She and another male exited their apartment as it was confirmed the apartment was on fire. Several other residents exited occupied apartments in the same building.

   “I then went back to the parking lot and saw officers pulling Cassidy from the apartment that was on fire. It should be noted moments later flames were seen coming from the apartment window. I was later advised by Detective Adney that the fire originated near a desk in the bedroom where Cassidy was the sole occupant and had to be pulled from.

   “The apartment is deemed a total loss, and several neighboring apartments received smoke damage. I quickly rushed over and assisted Officer Latzke with placing handcuffs on Cassidy. I then escorted Cassidy to Sgt. Woodward’s unit and left to continue helping with the evacuation efforts. Cassidy was cleared medically and transported to the city jail.”