The Office of the Maine Attorney General has ruled that police officers were acting in self-defense in February when they fatally shot an Aroostook County man who had wounded a deputy and killed a police dog.

The Feb. 3 shooting stemmed from a chaotic, hourslong standoff in Portage Lake, where Maine State Police and Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office deputies initially responded to a call from a woman who reported that she had been assaulted by her boyfriend, 29-year-old Steven Righini.

The woman said Righini was armed and that she feared for her life and that of her 3-week-old baby. She also reported that Righini had taken the baby and was refusing to give it back to her, according to the report from the attorney general’s office.

Officers arrived to the Ranger Street house where Righini and his girlfriend lived around 7:30 a.m. on Feb. 3. They spent more than 12 hours there attempting to apprehend and negotiate with Righini, according to the AG’s report, before he was shot and killed while trying to flee. The infant was unhurt and was returned to the mother, officials said at the time.

“Mr. Righini had demonstrated on multiple occasions that day his willingness to use deadly force rather than be arrested,” Attorney General Aaron Frey wrote in the report.

The attorney general’s office investigates all police uses of deadly force in the state and hasn’t found a police shooting unjustified since at least 1990.

Around 11 a.m., after police had informed Righini that he would be arrested and tried to apprehend him, Righini ran and fired six shots toward the officers. One officer tried to use a Taser on Righini and another attempted to shoot him, but they were unsuccessful, the report said.

Righini retreated into the house with the infant, where he posted videos to social media throughout the standoff. In one video, he said he was fighting for “righteousness and Christianity to be restored in this country.” He also claimed police were attempting to arrest him because he did not believe in LGBT rights or legal abortion.

Portage Lake UDF Letter Feb 2025 by Maine Trust For Local News

When police backed away from the house, Righini fired an AR-style rifle at them through a second-story window, according to the report. One bullet struck Aroostook County Deputy Shane Campbell in the shoulder.

Aroostook County Sgt. Reid Clark fired multiple rounds at Righini and later told investigators he feared for his and Campbell’s lives, according to the report. Both deputies left the scene, and Campbell was taken to a hospital, where he was treated and released later that day.

State police negotiators tried for several more hours to contact Righini and eventually reached him around 6 p.m. — more than 10 hours after police arrived.

“When the negotiators made contact with Mr. Righini, he expressed outrage that police tried to arrest him when he was assured that would not happen,” the report reads. “He told the negotiator he had not committed a crime and explained no one would be taking his daughter. Mr. Righini told the negotiator he acted in self-defense.”

Righini tried to drive away from the house in a pickup truck around 7:30 p.m., but after police vehicles boxed him in, he got out and fled on foot. Officers sent Preacher, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, to chase Righini. Righini shot the police dog and continued running with his gun, according to the report.

The report says Righini then turned back toward the officers and raised his gun. Maine State Police Sgt. Jonathan Russell, the dog’s handler, fired his rifle three times at Righini. State police Specialist Andrew Hardy also fired at Righini.

Righini fell to the ground and was declared dead at the scene. His cause of death was determined to be multiple gunshot wounds.

Both officers told investigators they shot Righini because they were afraid he would shoot them, according to the report.

“Mr. Righini knew he was under arrest for domestic violence assault however for the next 7 1/2 hours, Mr. Righini refused to surrender to law enforcement,” Frey wrote in the report.

Preacher, the police dog, was taken to an emergency veterinarian for surgery but died of his injuries. State police held a funeral in his honor in South Portland on Feb. 12.

The dog had worked with the greater Southern Field Troop area and tactical team after becoming certified at the Maine State Police K9 Patrol School in the fall of 2023, state police said.