District Attorney files charges against man who reportedly struck Seaside Police officers with slingshot.

The man suspected of striking two officers with a slingshot during a May 13 confrontation that ended when he was shot by Seaside Police is facing felony charges.

Jacinto Cortez-Gerardo, 47, is being charged with two counts of assault on a peace officer and exhibiting a deadly weapon, according to the charges filed by the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office on June 5. His bail was set at $180,000, and he remains in custody in Monterey County Jail.

On the morning of May 13, Cortez-Gerardo reportedly struck two officers in the head with rocks flung from a slingshot near the intersection of Fremont Boulevard and Playa Avenue in Seaside. According to police, when officers attempted to calm him down, Cortez-Gerardo “continued to be aggressive and violent toward officers,” which led to an officer firing his weapon at the man.

Investigators said two bullets struck Cortez-Gerardo, one in the right thigh and another in the abdomen. The officers and Cortez-Gerardo were treated at a local hospital. 

According to court records, a warrant was issued for Cortez-Gerardo’s arrest on June 5 after his release from the hospital, and he was arrested by Seaside Police on June 9. He pled not guilty on June 10.

Court records show Cortez-Gerardo has been charged with multiple felony and misdemeanor charges over the past five years, including a robbery in September 2023.

On April 10, he was charged with being in possession of a controlled substance, and failed to appear in court on April 30, according to records. A warrant was issued for his arrest soon after.

Cortez-Gerardo is next due in court on June 18.