AUBURN – A city police officer was legally justified in shooting at a dump truck driven by a Lisbon man who rammed several cruisers during a police pursuit in September, a statement from the Maine Attorney General’s Office said Wednesday.

After a police chase that crushed the front end of his cruiser, Cpl. Kristopher Bouchard fired four shots at the truck’s cab. One of the rounds hit the driver in the upper leg, the report said.

The driver, Bartolo Ford, 47, later was indicted on a count of aggravated attempted murder and other charges stemming from the incident.

The Attorney General’s Office must investigate police use of deadly force in the line of duty, according to state law.

The shooting followed an apparent theft of construction materials on Minot Avenue the night of Sept. 15, the A.G.’s office wrote in its summary of the incident.

Patrol Officer David Madore chased Ford, who was driving a Ford F-550 dual wheel dump truck loaded with two large concrete cylinders in the bed. Bouchard joined in the chase on Manley Road with Madore falling in behind him. The three turned onto Hotel Road. When the truck crossed a small bridge, concrete materials fell from its bed and shattered in the road, puncturing one of the tires on Madore’s cruiser.

Bouchard, a 7-year veteran of the city’s force, continued pursuit at speeds reaching 85 mph. Shortly before reaching East Hardscrabble Road, Ford stopped the truck. He backed up at high speed and rammed the front of Bouchard’s cruiser. After Ford rammed Bouchard’s cruiser a second time, he approached the truck on foot, his .45-caliber pistol drawn and pointed at Ford.

He ordered Ford to get out of the truck. After looking at Bouchard, Ford shifted gears in an effort to drive away. Believing then that Ford “posed a serious threat of serious bodily injury or death” to Bouchard, other officers and the public, Bouchard fired four shots in Ford’s direction from about 20 feet, the statement said. One of the bullets struck Ford in the upper leg. Ford sped off in the truck down Hotel Road.

Patrol Officer Matthew Johnson picked up the chase on Hotel Road and continued onto Route 122 in Poland. Shortly after 9:30 p.m., Ford stopped the truck, then backed up at high speed toward Johnson’s cruiser. Johnson dodged Ford twice. The third time, Ford rammed the front of the cruiser moments after Johnson abandoned it. Ford then fled again in his truck.

Deputy Chief Jason Moen, driving an unmarked cruiser on his way home, drove to Route 122 at the intersection of Route 26. He waited in a parking lot for Ford. Moen fell in behind Ford on Route 122 and followed him onto Route 26. Ford turned his truck and speed toward Moen, who dodged the truck by pulling into a parking lot, then back onto Route 122. Ford then sped off again.

His abandoned truck was found on Hines Road in Poland. A Maine State Police trooper found Ford around midnight walking along Route 26. He was bleeding heavily from a gunshot wound in his left leg.

Ford was treated and released from a Lewiston hospital. He was charged by the Androscoggin County District Attorney’s Office with aggravated attempted murder and other related charges.

Moen said Wednesday that he was pleased with the outcome of the A.G.’s investigation. Its conclusions mirrored those drawn from an internal investigation showing police followed proper policies that night, he said.

“We’re pleased and impressed with the performance of our officers,” he said. “They handled themselves extremely well.” He said their performance also is testament to their training.