Man Shot, Killed by Police Outside Portland Maine Strip Mall

An investigation is underway after a veteran of the Portland Police Department shot and killed a man outside of a strip mall on Saturday in Maine.

The Portland Police Department responded to 911 calls at the Union Station Plaza strip mall on Saint John Street around 11 a.m. The officers received reports of a man walking through the parking lot screaming and pointing a gun at cars. When they arrived, the officers discovered 22-year-old Chance David Baker of Portland, waving a gun in the air.

Witnesses told the Portland Press Herald that Baker had purchased a BB gun at Coastal Trading and Pawn then went outside and pointed it to the sky. Allegedly, Baker dropped the BB gun when police arrived. Officers warned him not to pick it up, but when Baker did not listen, witnesses say the officer fired.

Officials say they heard conflicting reports as to whether or not the weapon was a shotgun, rifle, or a BB gun. The Portland Police Department’s investigation later confirmed Baker’s weapon was a rifle style pellet gun with a wooden stock and scope.

Portland police have identified Sergeant Nicholas Goodman as the officer responsible. A fourteen year veteran of the department, Sergeant Goodman is a supervisor assigned to the patrol division. He has been placed on administrative leave and the Maine Attorney General’s office is investigating the incident. Additionally the Portland Police Department is conducting a separate internal investigation that will focus on whether the officer acted within department policy. This is the second time Sergeant Goodman has used deadly force in his career. In 2008, Sergeant Goodman shot and killed 48-year-old Albert Wayne Kittrell when he struck and dragged him over 300 feet. This was later declared a justified use of force.

The Portland Police Department released a statement saying, “we are saddened by the loss of life and send our condolences to the friends and family of Mr. Baker.”

This was the third police-involved shooting of the year in Maine, according to the Attorney General’s Office.

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