Trial for attempted murder of Pismo Beach officer ends, jury deliberating

September 16, 2024

By KAREN VELIE

Jurors in the case of a man accused of attempting to murder a Pismo Beach police officer began deliberations on Friday, and must now decide the fate of 48-year-old Charles Ammons

With charges pending from another arrest, an intoxicated Ammons was driving his van on Pomeroy Avenue on April 15, 2022 when a Pismo Beach policeman attempted to pull him over for a code violation. When officer Chris Siglin opened the van’s driver side door, Ammons pointed a semiautomatic pistol at Siglin’s head and pulled the trigger, but the gun malfunctioned because the ammunition was loaded backwards in the gun.

At the time of the traffic stop, Ammons’ blood alcohol level was .218 percent, more than two times the legal limit. With DUI arrests in 2013 and 2016, this was Ammons’ third.

At the time, Ammons was also facing charges related to a Jan. 12, 2022 arrest for public intoxication regarding drugs, alcohol and sniffing glue or paint thinner, and for having a concealed firearm that was not in his name.

After the gun malfunctioned on April 15, 2022, Siglin and Ammons struggled and fell into the back of the van. Siglin was able to open the van door as an off-duty officer was approaching.

David Saldivar, a military police officer from Fresno, and his son were eating at Mo’s Smokehouse BBQ when people began running by screaming, “He has a gun!” Saldivar said.

“I quickly grabbed my son and took him to the back of the restaurant and put him behind a wall for protection,” Saldivar said. “I then ran to the front seeing the officer struggle with the suspect. I made the decision to assist the officer with subduing the suspect and putting cuffs on him.”

Ammons was charged with attempted murder of a police officer, assault on a peace officer with a semiautomatic gun, carrying a loaded handgun that was not registered to him, possession of a concealed firearm not registered to him, DUI and public intoxication along with multiple enhancements, according to court records.

At trial, Ammon’s attorney Christina DiEdoardo argued her client was not trying to kill the officer, and that their was no evidence he pulled the trigger. She claimed what the officer said was a click could have been something banging during the struggle.