AUBURN – James Peters, who shot and killed his mother at the Minot Avenue home they shared in March, also fired at least twelve rounds at police who had surrounded the home.

At least one round struck a tactical police vehicle and debris from the blast struck an officer. Other rounds struck a house across the street, according to an Attorney General’s report released on Friday.

Police did not return fire at the 42-year-old Peters until an hour later when he walked in front of a window holding a gun. It was later determined that Peters had been struck and killed by one of those bullets.

In releasing their report on Friday, the A.G.’s office found that Maine State Police troopers Lucas Hare and Douglas Cropper were justified in using deadly force against the armed man.

Peters, who shot his mother, 76-year-old Margaret Peters, the morning of March 30, was found dead the following morning inside the house at 1806 Minot Ave. It was believed he was killed by a shotgun round fired by Trooper Hare. Peters had been struck in the abdomen, according to a Medical Examiner’s report.

Also in the home, police found an AK-47 assault rifle containing 17 live rounds, a shotgun with two rounds and a hunting rifle with four rounds. Police also found spent shell casings, a clip for the AK-47, 52 rounds for a .357 handgun and 35 rounds for various hunting rifles.

According to the report, police had tried to reach James Peters 114 times by telephone during the standoff, but the calls were ignored. They also tried to communicate through the use of a loudspeaker. All attempts to talk with Peters failed, police said.

During the standoff, Peters occasionally appeared behind windows holding a weapon, according to the report. He opened windows, shouted indecipherably, and at one point made an obscene gesture toward the officers.

Several hours into the standoff, the tactical team fired tear gas into the home. Peters, police said, responded by firing at the officers with the automatic rifle. It was that shooting spree that created justification to use deadly force, according to the A.G.’s report.

Margaret Peters’ body remained in the driveway of the Minot Avenue home for nearly a full day as the standoff wound on. No motive has been determined for the shooting, though some familiar with the family said there was tension between James Peters and his mother about living arrangements.

Under Maine law, for a police officer to be justified in using deadly force for purposes of self-protection or the protection of others, two requirements must be met. First, the officer must reasonably believe that unlawful deadly force is imminently threatened against the officer or a third person. Second, the officer must reasonably believe that the use of deadly force is necessary to meet or counter that imminent threat of unlawful deadly force.

Detectives from the A.G.’s Office went to the scene of the shooting in Auburn to conduct the investigation. They were assisted by State Police detectives, as well as members of the Auburn Police Department, and Chief Medical Examiner Margaret Greenwald.

Ballistic and other forensic evidence was examined by the Maine State Police Crime Laboratory. Maine State Police are conducting their own departmental review of the incident.

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