Man gets 10 years for rifle theft, chase at Jefferson County Fair

Published 12:00 pm Monday, August 4, 2025

Rafael Gomez pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a weapon — attempted murder charges dropped

The man who led authorities on a chase through Madras in 2022 after stealing a rifle during the Jefferson County Fair has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Rafael Gomez, 33, was initially charged with five counts of attempted murder among a slew of other charges. However, in a plea deal with prosecutors, Gomez pleaded guilty to three charges of unlawful use of a weapon while all other charges were dismissed.

The events of July 22, 2022 began after Gomez, who has no known address, took an AR-15-style rifle from a vehicle parked at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. Word spread of an active shooter as the man exited through a fence towards U.S. Highway 97, leading sheriff’s deputies on a foot chase away from the fairgrounds.

Court documents alleged Gomez tried to shoot eight people, including Jefferson County Sheriff Jason Pollock and one of his deputies. He did not shoot anyone before authorities subdued him with a bullet wound to the shoulder, but not for lack of trying, some witnesses say.

“He was trying to feed the live rounds into the chamber, but he couldn’t. It was jammed for him,” Towne Pump gas station attendant Ken Corbin, one of the eight people Gomez allegedly attempted to shoot, told The Bulletin in 2022 shortly after the incident. “I heard it click.”

According to a report from then-District Attorney Steve Leriche that found police justified in shooting Gomez, law enforcement officers feared he was headed toward the Madras Cinema 5. If Gomez had been able to clear a jam in the stolen gun, “it is highly likely significant casualties would have occurred,” Leriche said.

Body camera footage showed officers gave Gomez multiple commands to drop the weapon and video camera footage from surrounding businesses showed him attempting to use the rifle, “but it is unclear whether Gomez was ever able to successfully fire the weapon,” Leriche’s report said.

Now that Gomez has pleaded guilty, the trial that was scheduled to begin on Aug. 11 has been canceled — but those who witnessed the day had the opportunity to testify in Gomez’s first trial in September, before a mistrial was declared due to juror misconduct. What they described as a normal day at the fair that took a turn for the terrifying.

“In spite of what I told you two days in a row, a juror deliberately ignored my instruction and took it upon himself to conduct an investigation into this case and to do internet research as well,” Judge Daina Vitolins said in September. “I am deeply disappointed to tell you that I must declare a mistrial.”

The case against Gomez experienced several delays over the years. Originally, the trial was meant to begin in July 2023, but presiding Judge Annette Hillman postponed proceedings indefinitely due to illness. Gomez has also caused his own delays by circulating through three sets of attorneys. Then, there was the mistrial in September.

Meanwhile, Jefferson County has been without a district attorney since January when long-time district attorney  Leriche left to take a position at the Oregon Department of Justice. For the past seven months, the Oregon Attorney General’s Office has been covering the position.

Violins is the same judge that sentenced Gomez, who will receive credit for the three years he has already served. Gomez will also become eligible for good-time credit or work release after the first 60 months of his sentence have been served. In total, Gomez was sentenced to serve 120 months consecutively.