Thurston County judge denies bail for man accused of firing at deputy during May 8 pursuit
A man accused of firing an AR-15 rifle at a deputy during a May 8 pursuit is being held in the Thurston County jail without bail.
Damien Madison, 27, attended a hearing in Thurston County Superior Court on Wednesday after being extradited from Nevada.
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office booked him into the county jail on Tuesday, about a month after federal and local law enforcement apprehended him near the Nevada and California border.
The Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Madison on Monday with two counts of first-degree assault while armed with a firearm, drive-by shooting, unlawful first-degree possession of a firearm, and first-degree malicious mischief.
Judge John Skinder ordered Madison to be held without bail on the latest charges, calling Madison’s track record “extremely concerning.”
Skinder also ordered Madison to be temporarily held without bail in two older open cases, pending a new hearing on those matters. He also barred Madison from contacting two deputies as well as several co-defendants who allegedly helped him flee from law enforcement.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Rosemary Fitzgerald initially asked the court to set bail at $1 million for the newest case, saying Madison poses an extreme danger to himself, a loved one who was with him during the pursuit and the community at large.
“The fact that he was willing to sacrifice his own safety, the safety of the men and women in this community that give their lives every single day and that he fired upon them in such a wanton disregard for the safety of everyone in this community is abhorrent to the state,” Fitzgerald said.
She also asked the court to revoke Madison’s conditions of release and deny him bail in the two older cases.
Given the facts of the case, Skinder asked Fitzgerald why she was not asking the court to deny bail in the newer case. In response, she amended her request on the spot and asked for a no-bail hold.
Brian Gerhart filled in as Madison’s public defense attorney on Wednesday. Madison already has an assigned public defense attorney for his previous two cases; however, that attorney was busy with another case at the time of Wednesday’s hearing.
As such, Gerhart told the court he was reserving any argument on the conditions of release in the new case to allow the previously assigned attorney to respond.
He also asked the court to consider motions to revoke conditions of release in the two older cases at a later hearing, likewise so the other attorney could respond.
Prior to considering conditions of release, Fitzgerald asked Skinder to keep Madison restrained during the hearing, noting safety concerns from correctional deputies.
Skinder denied the request, saying Fitzgerald did not provide sufficient information to suggest Madison had violent tendencies while in custody or at the county jail.
Court records indicate Madison’s criminal history dates back to 2015.
His past convictions include residential burglary, six counts of theft of a firearm, third-degree assault, possession of a stolen vehicle, fourth degree assault, first-degree unlawful passion of a firearm and hit and run property damage.
Prior to his newest case, Madison was charged in a Thurston County Superior Court case filed in December 2024.
Those crimes included attempting to elude a police vehicle, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, with intent to deliver, resisting arrest, carrying a dangerous weapon, reckless driving and hit and run attended vehicle.
In another case filed in November 2024, Madison was charged with attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, resisting arrest and driving while license suspended or revoked.
Court records show bail was set at $25,000 in both cases and he posted bail for both. Jury trials for the 2024 cases are still pending.
How did the manhunt play out?
A probable cause statement describes the investigation into the May 8 pursuit and shooting from the perspective of law enforcement.
The May 8 pursuit started just after 5 p.m. in Tenino near a grocery store. At the time, deputies were looking for Madison because there was a warrant out for his arrest for failing to appear in court on the prior charges.
The Centralia Police Department previously advised Thurston County deputies to use caution when contacting Madison because he would likely flee from law enforcement and he’d likely be armed with an AR-15 style rifle and a shotgun.
The vehicle fled east on State Route 507, reaching speeds of about 60 miles per hour. During the pursuit, Madison allegedly threw items at the deputy’s vehicle, including a sports drink bottle, chainsaw, tool box and motorcycle helmet.
The vehicle later turned onto Military Road and made some turns onto other roads before returning to going eastbound on Military Road at speeds up to 74 mph. Another deputy joined the pursuit and the vehicle turned onto Waldrick Road Southeast.
The deputy who started the pursuit tried to conduct a precision immobilization technique, or PIT, maneuver, but the vehicle pulled away. That’s when Madison allegedly leaned out and fired at the deputy with an AR-15-style rifle.
The deputy and a K9 were unharmed but their patrol vehicle was disabled, Sheriff Derek Sanders previously said. The disabled patrol vehicle reportedly had at least three bullet holes near the passenger side headlight.
The other deputy in pursuit picked up the stranded deputy and continued following the vehicle. They later found the vehicle had spun out. Deputies called out the driver and detained her but found Madison was nowhere to be found.
Deputies believe the driver let Madison out of the car and he fled on foot. Shortly afterwards, deputies arrested the driver for eluding and rendering criminal assistance.
In the days after the shooting, the Sheriff’s Office offered reward money that grew from $1,000 to $5,000 for the apprehension of Madison, The Olympian previously reported.
On May 13, Sanders said the Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal Apprehension Team and local law enforcement tracked Madison to the Nevada border where they used a Grappler net to stop his vehicle. The team then took Madison and his mother into custody.
Thurston County detectives transported Madison back to Thurston County with help from Washington State Department of Corrections and State Patrol, according to a Tuesday Sheriff’s Office news release.
“We extend our sincere gratitude to all of the law enforcement partners who played a role in this case – from the initial incident, through the investigation and ultimately to Damien’s apprehension,” the Sheriff’s Office said in the release.
The search for Madison involved local and state agencies across Oregon, California and Nevada, according to the release. Federal partners reportedly included the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security and others.
This story was originally published June 12, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
