Clark County will pay $7.5 million to the widow of Vancouver Police Officer Donald Sahota, closing out a high-stakes federal wrongful-death fight over the off-duty officer’s killing. The payout, years in the making, was signed off in a unanimous county council vote on Wednesday and effectively ends a legal saga that has hung over the county since the Jan. 29, 2022 shooting.
Settlement Approved After Federal Suit
The settlement was first announced by the plaintiff’s legal team and then formally approved when the Clark County Council voted unanimously to accept the deal, according to KPTV. Court records show the wrongful-death complaint was filed in federal court on Jan. 22, 2025, under the case name Sahota v. Clark County, No. 3:25-cv-05054, according to Justia Dockets.
How the Shooting Unfolded
On the night of Jan. 29, 2022, a robbery suspect, Julio Cesar Segura, led deputies on a chase that ended near Battle Ground before he appeared at Officer Sahota’s home. Sahota, who was off duty, confronted Segura and was stabbed during a struggle, according to the widow’s lawsuit. As deputies rushed in, including Deputy Jonathan Feller, shots were fired within seconds; Feller’s rounds struck Sahota, killing him. The timing of those shots and the allegation that Feller acted rashly are central claims in the widow’s lawsuit and have been detailed in prior reporting by OPB.
Suspect Convicted
Segura was later convicted of murder in May 2024 and sentenced to just over 29 years in prison, with prosecutors arguing that his actions set the deadly chain of events in motion. The trial and verdict were covered by Police1.
Civil Liability and County Payouts
The $7.5 million deal now joins a list of costly settlements tied to deputy-involved shootings and highlights Clark County’s financial exposure in such cases. The county had already agreed to pay $1.25 million to settle a separate deputy-involved shooting case, local reporting shows. In Sahota’s case, the deputy who fired, Jonathan Feller, was not criminally charged and has been placed on administrative assignment, according to Clark County Today.
What's Next
The federal complaint alleged civil rights violations under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and included a demand for a jury trial. The docket also lists plaintiff’s counsel and a series of scheduling orders that were in place before the settlement was reached, according to Justia Dockets. With the council’s vote, the civil case is effectively over, and the county is now obligated to pay the agreed amount under the settlement, according to KPTV.
