Weezer Bassist's Wife Catches Lesser Charges in Cop Shootout Case in L.A.

1:50 PM PT -- Jillian Lauren Shriner appeared in court in Downtown L.A. later Tuesday and pled not guilty to both charges.

The wife of Weezer bassist Scott Shriner was hit with felony gun charges Tuesday ... but, she seems to have caught a break -- because she was facing a far more serious allegation.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman formally charged Jillian Lauren Shriner with felony discharge of a firearm with gross negligence, and felony assault with a semiautomatic firearm. Jillian was originally booked on suspicion of attempted murder of a peace officer in the April incident.

As we first reported ... Shriner was shot in the shoulder by police officers after allegedly pointing and firing at them on April 8 -- cops were searching her neighborhood for a suspect in an unrelated crime when she came out of her house with a pistol in her hand to investigate.

Body cam and security footage show officers behind a wooden fence in a neighboring yard yelling at her to drop the gun ... she then appears to raise her arm and fire, prompting officers to shoot back.

Prosecutors claim the alleged assault was "upon one of a group of three individuals standing behind a fence in the backyard of an adjacent property" in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of L.A. on April 8.

After she was struck, Shriner walked back inside her house. A woman who works for her called police from the house, and from the released recording of the call, it appeared Shriner didn't realize she had confronted police officers ... the call seemed to be about reporting a prowler in the neighborhood.

Shriner and the woman surrendered to officers outside the house within an hour. Shriner was treated at a hospital, then arrested on suspicion of attempted murder of a peace officer. She was later released on $1 million bond.

Prosecutors are seeking up to 19 years in prison if she's convicted.