Bail will remain at $5 million for a robbery suspect who was being chased when Vancouver police Officer Donald Sahota was mistakenly shot to death by a Clark County deputy. Prosecutors argue that Julio Segura, 20, of Yakima, caused Sahota’s death while committing or attempting to commit other crimes, including burglary, attempted kidnapping and assault. He now faces a slew of new charges, including multiple counts of murder, in Clark County Superior Court. Segura was set to be arraigned Wednesday morning on the amended charging information, which accuses him of three counts of first-degree murder and one count each of second-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder, first-degree attempted kidnapping, first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, possession of a stolen motor vehicle and attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle. However, the hearing was set over to March 1. Vancouver defense attorney Neil Cane said he’s challenging the specifics of the most serious charges, including the multiple counts of murder. He said he and his client did not understand the charges, filed Tuesday, well enough to enter not-guilty pleas Wednesday morning. Instead, the attorneys argued bail. At Segura’s first appearance Jan. 31, Judge John Fairgrieve set bail at $5 million. Cane filed a motion last week arguing it should be lowered to $50,000.

Cane wrote that Segura did not kill Sahota and, “the state alleges circumstances in the most obvious charge suggesting an assault 1 or 2 with a knife.” “We people in Vancouver, WA have been experiencing a wave of civilian killings by local police in this community for the past few years,” Cane wrote. “In this matter, the officer who intended to kill Mr. Segura chose a homeowner, apparently in error. This is a tragedy that yet another police officer killed someone. This tragedy is not to be a basis to prejudice Mr. Segura.” But Clark County Prosecutor Tony Golik outlined details included in a new probable cause affidavit that he said supported the list of new charges. He called the new information, “significantly more troubling” than the circumstances he recited at Segura’s first appearance. Clark County sheriff’s deputies pursed Segura as a suspect in an armed robbery at an Orchard’s convenience store Jan. 29. During the chase, Segura exceeded 100 miles per hour, Golik said. After officers used spike strips to flatten the tires of the car Segura was driving, he bailed out and ran to a nearby home, which happened to be that of the Sahota family, according to investigators and court records.

A struggle ensued between Segura and Sahota, 52. Segura is accused of stabbing Sahota three times before running inside his house. Moments later, an arriving deputy, identified by investigators as Jonathan Feller, mistakenly shot and killed Sahota, court records say. The shooting is being investigated by the Lower Columbia Major Crimes Team from Cowlitz County. Golik said Sahota’s wife told investigators that Segura chased her inside the house, still armed with the knife, and tried to capture her. Once she got away and he knew deputies were outside, Golik said Segura surrendered, realizing he had “no where else to go.” The Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled earlier this month Sahota died from gunshot wounds to the torso. However, Golik said Sahota’s autopsy showed the stab wounds were also life-threatening, despite the gunshot wounds killing him first. Segura allegedly told investigators that he knew Sahota was a police officer, and he thought he had killed Sahota, according to an earlier probable cause affidavit.

Judge Nancy Retsinas noted the way the “number of  incidents at multiple locations” risked community safety that night before ordering bail remain at $5 million. This story will be updated.

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