Charles Ammons, 50, was found guilty of premeditated attempted murder of a police officer among numerous other charges.
A man already convicted on a slew of charges, can add premeditated attempted murder of a police officer to his list of woes.
District Attorney Dan Dow announced that a second jury trial for Charles Nelson Ammons, 50, found Ammons guilty in the attempted murder of a Pismo Beach Police motorcycle officer, Corporal Chris Siglin, during a traffic stop in 2022.
“During the week-long trial,” the news release said, “the jury heard evidence that on April 15, 2022, Pismo Beach Police Corporal Chris Siglin was 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.”
He tried to flee. “Ammons ignored lights and sirens, hand gestures, loudspeaker and verbal commands to pull over,” the release said. “When Cpl. Siglin pulled his motorcycle next to Ammons’ van and opened the driver side door, Ammons immediately and without warning pointed a semi-automatic handgun at the head of Cpl. Siglin and pulled the trigger.”
By some small miracle of incompetence, the gun didn’t fire because Ammons had loaded the bullets in the magazine backwards. Cpl. Siglin and Pismo Beach Police Officer, Tyler Smith, “were able to wrestle Ammon to the ground. With the help of two off-duty Santa Maria Police Officers, who were enjoying a Pismo Beach afternoon, they took Ammons into custody.”
These most recent convictions came after a previous trial wherein the jury found Ammons 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.
Ammons’ blood alcohol level was tested at over .20%. The legal limit to drive is .08%, so he was 2½ times over the legal limit. He also had two previous DUI convictions, according to the D.A.
In the first trial, the jury deadlocked, 11-1 for guilt, on felony charges of premeditated attempted murder and felony resisting arrest charges.
The D.A. “elected to re-try Ammons on those charges resulting in this conviction.”
The jury also found several compounding factors in Ammons’ crimes. The factors included: the crimes involved great violence, threat of great bodily harm, or other acts disclosing a high degree of cruelty, viciousness, or callousness; the defendant used a weapon when he committed the crimes; the victim officer was particularly vulnerable; and the defendant engaged in violent conduct that indicates a serious danger to society.”
Ammons now faces 10 years and 8 months in State Prison when he gets sentenced on Dec. 12, by Judge Crystal T. Seiler. The Pismo Beach P.D. investigated the case with help from the Santa Maria Police Department, and the D.A.’s Bureau of Investigation Senior Investigator, Herminio Rodriguez. Prosecutor was Dep. D.A. Cameron Simoes with the “Crimes Against Peace Officers Prosecution Unit.”
Cpl. Siglin was helped through the trial by Victim Advocates Beth Raub and Jennifer Love.
D.A. Dow said, “Law enforcement officers like Pismo Beach Police Officer Chris Siglin are courageous public servants who put their lives on the line to protect all of us every day. They deserve our appreciation and respect, and when they have been victimized, the criminal and victim justice system should provide justice for them, like it did today.”
