PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The 20-year-old Yakima man who allegedly robbed an Orchards area convenience store Saturday night and led Clark County Sheriff’s deputies on a chase that ended with the death of an off-duty Vancouver Police officer has been charged with attempted first-degree murder.
Julio Cesar Segura appeared in court in Clark County Monday morning. Along with the charges associated with the death of Vancouver Police officer Donald Sahota, Segura is facing charges of robbery, burglary, stealing a car, and eluding officers.
Newly obtained court documents show investigators believe Segura robbed the convenience store around 8 p.m. Saturday evening, ran from the scene and somehow wound up on Sahota’s property.
The documents state that dispatchers put out information that a caller was calling 911 because a stranger was saying he crashed his car nearby and needed help. Further information revealed to deputies told them that a resident of the location was a law enforcement officer and he was holding the subject at gunpoint.
James Lawrence, listed as the arresting officer in the documents, said he followed multiple deputies into the scene as deputies with aerial views were stating that the resident and suspect were fighting. During an alleged struggle with Sahota, investigators say Segura stabbed the off-duty police officer several times.
The struggle also involved an object — later identified as a pistol — falling to the ground, according to court documents. When responding officers arrived to the scene, Segura fled into the residence.
“Sahota also stood up, grabbed the pistol, and pursued Segura,” said the documents. “One of the responding deputies fired shots, striking Sahota, who was on the front porch.”
During Segura’s court appearance, prosecutors said that it appears the deputy mistook officer Sahota for the suspect and fired his rifle, also causing additional injury to Sahota.
In the court documents, Lawrence said he moved up where other officers were positioned and challenging a subject on the front porch.
“Another subject, later identified as Julio Segura, stuck his hands out the front door and then exited,” he wrote. “Realizing Segura was the suspect and it was the resident who was shot, we quickly took Segura into custody.”
Efforts to revive him were not successful and he died at the scene.
According to documents, Lawrence later spoke to Segura in his patrol vehicle after reading him Miranda rights. Lawrence said another officer told him that Segura “intentionally” stabbed the deceased at least three times in the torso.
“Further, Segura said he did not want to remain on the ground and he knew the man he stabbed was a police officer,” added Lawrence.
The other officer also told Lawrence that Segura believed he killed the man.
Court documents further reveal that Sahota’s wife was on the phone with 911 as Segura was approaching the residence. The woman attempted to lock the door in an effort to prevent Segura from making entry into the residence.
“Segura was successfully able to force the door open and entered the residence while armed with the knife he just used to repeatedly stab the homeowner. It was also reported that Mrs. Sahota suffered a large contusion to her forehead as a result from the door striking her in the forehead,” stated the documents. “After being struck by the door, Mrs. Sahota fell to the ground. She was later transported to an area hospital where she was treated for her injuries.”
The official cause of Sahota’s death has not been released, pending an autopsy. Segura’s bail has been set at $5 million.
This is a developing story and will be updated.