A Clark County sheriff’s deputy is reported to have mistakenly shot Vancouver police Officer Donald Sahota. Four shots were fired within four seconds of arriving at the off-duty officer’s Battle Ground home. The officer was killed by the shooting.
Deputy Jonathan Feller gave information about the shooting. A video shows officer Feller parked in front of the house in question. He exited his SUV and took a shooting stance. He then fired a .223 caliber round from the rifle that hit officer Sahota three times.
Feller said that he thought he shot an armed robbery suspect. Law enforcement and Clark County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has hundreds of pages of investigative reports compiled by the Lower Columbia Major Crimes Team. They have also collected photos, videos, and audio of 911 calls as well as interviews with witnesses involved in the incident.
Officer Feller could face criminal charges pending the investigation. He talked to investigators stating that he saw a man who matched the description of a robbery suspect. He said that man picked up a gun from the ground in front of his (Sahota’s) house. Feller told the investigators that the man ran toward the house. He ordered the man to get on the ground but said the man didn’t respond and tried to force his way through the front door.
A distraught officer Feller later told investigators that all happened fast. He realized later that he had shot Sahota, 52, the homeowner and an off-duty police officer. The Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office found that Sahota died from multiple gunshot wounds to the torso.
Prosecutors are making the case against another man who stabbed Sahota (Mr. Segura). The government attorney is stating that Segura’s actions led to the killing. He was charged with multiple felonies, including murder. Segura’s attorney said that his client is an eyewitness not the murderer. A Clark County Superior Court judge denied Segura’s motion to throughout the investigation report.
