A San Luis Obispo County jury on Thursday found a Pismo Beach man guilty of pulling a gun on a police officer during a traffic stop.
Charles Nelson Ammons, 50, was convicted of premeditated attempted murder of a peace officer with a gun and felony resisting a peace officer by use of force.
On April 15, 2022, Pismo Beach Police Corporal Chris Siglin attempted to stop Ammon's van for making an illegal turn, but Ammons ignored commands to pull over. When he eventually did stop, Siglin, who was on a motorcycle, pulled up next to the van and opened the driver's side door. Ammons then pointed a semi-automatic handgun at Siglin's head and pulled the trigger.
According to authorities, the gun did not fire because the bullets were loaded backward.
Siglin and another officer reportedly wrestled Ammons to the ground and took him into custody with the help of two off-duty Santa Maria police officers who happened to be nearby.
This was the second jury trial for Ammons. In his first trial, the jury found him guilty 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 DUI convictions. However, the jury deadlocked on the attempted murder and felony resisting charges, so the district attorney's office decided to retry him on those charges.
Ammons faces a maximum sentence of 10 years and eight months plus 15 years to life in state prison when he is sentenced on December 12.
