A man was sentenced in San Luis Obispo on Wednesday for the attempted murder of a police officer in Pismo Beach.
According to District Attorney Dan Dow, 50-year-old Charles Nelson Ammons has been sentenced to 12 years, plus 15 years to life in state prison for his conviction of premeditated attempted murder of a peace officer with a gun and resisting a peace officer by use of force.
On April 15, 2022, Pismo Beach Police Corporal Chris Siglin was reportedly on uniformed motorcycle patrol when he attempted to stop Ammon’s van for making an illegal turn in the busy downtown corridor of Pismo Beach.
Officials say Ammons ignored lights, sirens, hand gestures, loudspeakers, and verbal commands to pull over.
When Corporal Siglin pulled his motorcycle next to Ammons’ van and opened the driver-side door, authorities report that Ammons immediately and without warning pointed a semi-automatic handgun at the head of Corporal Siglin and pulled the trigger.
The firearm did not go off because the bullets had been loaded backward in the magazine of the gun, according to the District Attorney.
Corporal Siglin and Pismo Beach Police Officer Tyler Smith were reportedly able to wrestle Ammon to the ground before two off-duty Santa Maria Police officers in the area helped them take Ammons into custody.
The 50-year-old was convicted of the crimes after a second jury trial.
In the first trial, the jury convicted Ammons of assault on a peace officer with a semi-automatic firearm, possession of a non-registered loaded firearm in a vehicle, and driving while intoxicated with a blood alcohol level exceeding .20% while having two prior convictions for DUI.
In the previous trial, the District Attorney says the jury was unable to reach a unanimous guilty verdict on the attempted murder and felony resisting charges.
Dow elected to re-try Ammons on those charges, resulting in Wednesday's life sentence.
At the second trial, the jury also found several aggravating factors true.
The factors include that the crimes involved great violence or threat of great bodily harm, the defendant used a weapon when he committed the crimes, the victim officer was particularly vulnerable, and the defendant engaged in violent conduct that indicated a serious danger to society.
“Our community owes Officer Chris Siglin a debt of gratitude for his selfless service to our community,” said District Attorney Dan Dow in a press release. “I am grateful that this defendant has received what is essentially a life sentence in prison today. Law enforcement professionals are our neighbors, friends, and family members who deserve our continual support and respect. When they have been victimized, they deserve justice."
Ammons is set to appear in the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court on March 24 to determine the amount of restitution he owes for his crimes.
