NEW GLOUCESTER – A Maine state trooper was justified when he shot a man from Gray after a police chase that ended on Route 26, the attorney general’s office announced.

An investigation also found that state police Sgt. Michael Edes acted appropriately when he rammed 25-year-old Robert Bean’s car to end the chase in the early morning of May 21.

Bean was shot after brandishing a rifle at the end of the chase, police said. He survived his injuries.

Attorney General Steve Rowe said Edes was justified in ending the chase and shooting Bean because he believed that he and other officers were in danger from Bean’s actions.

The attorney general is required by law to review all incidents in which law enforcement officers use deadly force while performing their duty.

The chase began about 1:10 a.m. May 21 when a Paris police officer tried to stop Bean’s vehicle. Police said the car Bean was driving had an expired license plate and defective tail lights.

Bean refused to stop and police from several area departments joined the pursuit. Investigators said that at several points during the chase, Bean displayed a rifle while continuing to speed away from police.

Police were able to lay down spike mats and deflate the tires of Bean’s car, but the chase went on. When Edes assumed the lead position in the pursuit, Bean’s vehicle had slowed considerably, but Bean still refused to stop, investigators said.

At this point, the chase had gone on for about 25 minutes and covered nearly 20 miles and was approaching more populated and built-up areas of New Gloucester and Gray.

From his position directly behind the Bean vehicle, Edes observed what he believed was the rifle resting on top of the seat across the headrest, according to the investigation. As he drove closer to Bean’s vehicle, Bean stuck the rifle out the driver’s side window with his right hand, police said.

Edes swiped Bean’s car with his cruiser once the gun was back inside the vehicle, police said. The car spun out of control and came to a stop. Bean got out of the car with the rifle and aimed it at police, investigators said.

Ignoring the commands to drop the weapon and get down on the ground, Bean walked for approximately 15 yards before he stopped in the middle of the northbound travel lane while keeping the rifle pointed to his head, investigators said.

At this point, the officers observed two civilian vehicles approaching the scene from behind Bean. As the vehicles came closer to the scene, they slowed, but instead of stopping they kept driving toward Bean and the officers.

Police at the scene said Bean stopped and looked over his shoulder at the vehicles as they approached, police said.

The officers feared that if Bean got closer to the vehicles, he would either shoot one of the drivers or commandeer a vehicle, police said.

Several officers yelled at Bean and instructed him again to drop his weapon, investigators said. The commands at this point included telling Bean that he would be shot if he did not stop and drop the weapon.

Then Bean, while looking at the officers, started to move the rifle away from his head in such a manner that Edes believed Bean was intending to aim the gun directly at him. In response, Edes fired one round at Bean from about 20 feet. The round struck Bean, who immediately dropped the rifle and fell to the road.

The weapon later proved to be a pellet rifle. Bean recovered from the gunshot wound.