Vancouver, Washington – A judge has ruled that the defense team of Julio Segura, who is facing murder charges, cannot question witnesses about the details of a fatal shooting by the Clark County Sheriff’s Office. Segura’s defense attorneys sought to establish differences in Deputy Jonathan Feller’s behavior since his involvement in the shooting, in an effort to prove that Feller, not Segura, was responsible for the killing of off-duty Vancouver police officer Donald Sahota.
Segura, a 22-year-old resident of Yakima, has been charged in Clark County Superior Court with multiple counts of murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, robbery, and other offenses. However, the defense argues that Feller acted inappropriately during the shooting of Sahota. They claim that after the shooting of Kevin Peterson Jr., Feller began using his personal weapon instead of his agency-issued firearm. They also allege that Feller failed to properly assess the scene at the Sahota residence before opening fire, contradicting his actions in the Peterson shooting.
According to the defense, these lapses led Feller to mistakenly shoot and kill Sahota, while Segura was the intended target. Court records indicate that Segura is accused of stabbing Sahota during a struggle in the victim’s driveway, prior to Feller’s arrival on the scene. Although Sahota ultimately died from gunshot wounds, an autopsy confirmed that his stab wounds were life-threatening.
Despite an outside panel of prosecutors being unable to reach a consensus on the reasonableness of Feller’s decision to use force, the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has stated that it does not intend to charge Feller in Sahota’s death. Prosecutors argue that Feller’s involvement in the Peterson shooting is irrelevant and that litigating the entire Peterson case would only confuse the jury in Segura’s trial.
Judge Nancy Retsinas has ruled that the defense cannot ask Feller about the specifics of the Peterson shooting during his testimony. However, more general questions about Feller’s involvement in prior shootings are permissible. The judge also declared that any mention of Peterson or the investigation surrounding his shooting must be excluded from the trial due to concerns of unfair prejudice and confusion.
In unrelated proceedings, the family of Kevin Peterson has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the county, Feller, and others involved in the shooting. Peterson, who was armed with a handgun, was fatally shot by three deputies while fleeing the scene of a drug sale. The lawsuit alleges that Peterson did not pose a threat to the deputies and that the object in his hand was a cellphone, not a gun. The proceedings relating to the suit’s federal claims have been put on hold pending an appeal.
The judge deemed Segura’s case ready for trial, with jury selection scheduled to begin on May 1 and the trial itself commencing on May 6. With the limitations placed on the defense’s questioning, it remains to be seen how their strategy will unfold in court.