Man sentenced to six years in prison after he pleads no contest to striking Seaside officers with a slingshot.

A Marina man was sentenced to six years in prison on Oct. 11 following a May incident where he reportedly struck two police officers in the face using a slingshot.

Jacinto Cortez-Gerardo, 48, pleaded no contest to assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapon.

According to a press release from Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni, on the morning of May 13, Seaside Police Officer Braden Palma approached multiple people, including Cortez-Gerardo, who were blocking the exit door of a business on Playa Avenue.

Cortez-Gerardo reportedly refused to move when asked, and set up a makeshift barricade. He was also found to be in possession of a makeshift spear and shield, along with a pile of rocks.

Palma called for backup while he talked with Cortez-Gerardo, according to Pacioni. He refused to be searched despite being on probation.

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.

After 20 minutes of no progress, with Cortez-Gerardo reportedly threatening that someone was going to get hurt, Officer Jonathan Moore arrived and drew his firearm, ordering him to drop his weapons. Cortez-Gerardo did, but then pulled out a slingshot, prompting Palma to fire a taser at him to no avail, according to the press release.

Cortez-Gerardo fired rocks at the officers, striking them in the face and causing injuries that later required medical attention. Palma fired four intermittent shots at Cortez-Gerardo, two of which struck him and caused him to drop the slingshot and be taken into custody following medical aid.

Cortez-Gerardo has a history of using a slingshot to shoot rocks at people, according to Pacioni.