AUGUSTA – A Portland police officer was legally justified when he shot and killed a motorist who tried to drive off with the officer hanging from the vehicle during a traffic stop two months ago, Attorney General Steven Rowe said Thursday.

Rowe concluded that Officer Nicholas Goodman had reason to believe his life was in danger and he needed to use deadly force when Albert Kittrell sped away in the borrowed sport utility vehicle, dragging Goodman along at high speed.

Kittrell, 48, died of two gunshot wounds and Goodman suffered knee, hand and facial injuries from being dragged and falling from the moving vehicle, investigators found.

Officer James Davison, who arrived as backup, was grappling with Kittrell inside the SUV and managed to bring it to a stop after the driver was shot.

The two officers had been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation of the May 3 incident that began when Kittrell was stopped on St. John Street and Goodman determined that he was a habitual offender whose bail conditions barred him from driving.

Goodman had recognized Kittrell, who falsely identified himself as Joseph Kittrell, his brother, the investigation found. During the stop, Kittrell used his cell phone to call his ex-girlfriend, who owned the SUV, and asked her if it had any defect that would attract police attention.

The woman, who was not identified in Rowe’s report, began walking the few blocks to the site of the traffic stop. A short time later she observed Goodman hanging from the side of the SUV, heard gunshots and saw the officer falling to the pavement as he lost his hold on the moving vehicle.

Goodman had reached into the car to try to keep Kittrell from turning on the ignition, but the driver was able to start the engine and put the vehicle in gear. Davison, meanwhile, had opened the front passenger door and hurled himself into the SUV in an effort to stop Kittrell.

The investigation showed that the vehicle traveled about 280 feet with Goodman hanging on and Davison inside before Kittrell was shot. It then traveled another 77 feet before Davison managed to bring it to a stop.