DENVER, Colo. -- A man accused of killing a police officer and wounding another told the mother of his child and her brother he had shot an officer, a detective testified at the man's preliminary hearing Thursday.

Defense attorney Fernando Freyre, representing Raul Gomez-Garcia, countered that the woman and her brother only made the statements after police learned they were in the country illegally.

In the courtroom Thursday emotions were high, especially for the widow of the slain officer.

"It’s a tough time when I talked to her. In the weeks preceeding this she saw the date coming -- the anniversary of his killing is coming up in May -- so its kind of building up to a crescendo again after her, you know, actually getting back to somewhat of a normal life," said Denver Police Chief Gerry Whitman.

A judge ordered Gomez-Garcia to stand trial Sept. 5 on charges including second-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder in the shooting death of Detective Donald Young and the wounding of Detective John "Jack" Bishop. The officers were shot early May 8 while they worked off-duty as security guards at a party where Gomez-Garcia had been denied entry, police said.

Young was shot three times, with one bullet going through his heart, according to court testimony.

Prosecutors on Thursday also added two counts of second-degree assault.

Gomez-Garcia was arrested in June in Mexico, where he had gone after the shooting, and was extradited to the U.S. Under an agreement with Mexico over the extradition, Gomez-Garcia cannot be charged with anything punishable by the death penalty or life in prison without parole.

At the preliminary hearing, Detective Martin Vigil testified that Sandra Rivas, who is the mother of Gomez-Garcia's baby, and her brother both told him that Gomez-Garcia said he shot an officer. Rivas told Vigil that Gomez-Garcia had only meant to scare the officers.

But Freyre said Rivas initially told police she knew nothing about the shooting. He suggested that she and her brother only said that Gomez-Garcia confessed after Vigil learned Rivas' family were not U.S. citizens.

Freyre also argued that witnesses standing just 15 feet from the shooter did not identify Gomez-Garcia as the suspect.

Both officers were shot from behind, and Bishop said he could not identify the shooter, police testified.

The shootings happened after Young and Bishop had denied Gomez-Garcia and three friends entry to a baptismal party where they were working, police said. Police testified that Young grabbed Gomez-Garcia's arm and neck and told him to leave.

Gomez-Garcia used an expletive and called Young a racist, Vigil said witnesses told him. On cross-examination, Freyre suggested Young also had used an expletive in speaking with Gomez-Garcia, although Vigil said he did not remember hearing that.

With Police Chief Gerry Whitman and Young's widow looking on, Capt. Michael Calo testified that he was working off-duty at an establishment across the street from Young and Bishop when he heard gunshots.

He said that when he arrived, Bishop did not realize a bullet had gone through his bulletproof vest, leaving him bruised. Bishop told him Young was down, Calo testified.

"He looked like he lost his best friend," Calo said. "It was horrific."

He said he told Young help was on the way.

Deputy District Attorney Tom Clinton asked whether Young was responsive.

Calo clenched his teeth during a long pause, appearing to choke up before answering. "I want to believe he was," Calo answered.