PORTLAND, Maine — The family of a Portland man shot and killed by Portland Police Sgt. Nicholas Goodman in Union Station Plaza in 2017 has settled a wrongful death lawsuit for an undisclosed amount of money.
The mother and grandmother of Chance David Baker, 22, sued Goodman claiming he used excessive force and illegal deadly force when he shot Baker on Feb 10, 2017.
Baker was having a mental health crisis at the time and had a blood alcohol level of at least 0.241, the Portland Press Herald reported. He was holding an air rifle at the time.
Hunter Tzovarras, the attorney for Shantel Baker and Terry Baker, confirmed his clients had reached a settlement. He declined to disclose terms of the settlement.
Goodman was among police who went to Union Station Plaza that day in response to 911 calls about a man walking around with what turned out to be an air rifle. Goodman shot Baker within minutes of arriving.
Goodman argued his use of force was reasonable because he believed Baker posed an immediate threat to police and to the public.
The Maine Attorney General's office ruled the shooting justified that March.
In February, a federal judge denied Goodman immunity from the case and allowed it to proceed.