Widely-used handgun banned from Washington state training facilities

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Lauren Taylor Anchor/Reporter

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor/Reporter), Zachary Hill (Video Editor)

The Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission has permanently banned the Sig Sauer P320 handgun from its training facilities. This comes after officials say an investigation revealed the firearm can discharge without pulling the trigger.
Sig Sauer denies the claims, asserting the P320 is safe and trusted by the U.S. military and law enforcement.
Washington law enforcement officials are working to train with a new firearm.

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A popular handgun used by law enforcement and civilians is now permanently banned from training facilities run by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (WSCJTC). The handgun in question is the Sig Sauer P320.

Why did the police ban the gun?

Monica Alexander, executive director of the training commission, told KING 5 News the P320 can fire without anyone pulling the trigger.

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The training commission paused using the P320 in its facilities in October 2024. Officials launched an investigation after a police recruit’s P320 allegedly discharged without a finger on the trigger.

“A recruit’s firearm discharged while drawing, without their finger on the trigger, injuring an instructor and another recruit,” a communications manager for the training commission told local newspaper My Northwest.

After the investigation concluded, the training commission decided to prohibit the use of the Sig Sauer P320 in its training facilities.

Have there been other reported issues with the handgun?

Similar cases have emerged across the country.

The P320 has been linked to more than 100 lawsuits from civilians and officers. They claim the handguns fired without pulling the trigger, New Hampshire Public Radio reports.

Two police officers in Texas say they were shot when their holstered Sig Sauer P320 handguns fired, striking each of them in the leg.

In June 2024, a federal jury awarded a Georgia man more than $2.3 million after he claimed he was seriously injured by his holstered P320 handgun when it fired and no one had touched the trigger.

Lawyers for the man argued that the P320s are not equipped with external manual safety.

Sig Sauer appealed the verdict, and on Feb. 12, a federal judge declined to drop the multi-million dollar judgment against the gun maker.

Last year, Sig Sauer posted a statement to its website stating, “Contrary to prior reporting, claims that the P320 is capable of firing without a trigger pull are without merit and have been soundly rejected as a matter of law by thirteen separate courts, including a unanimous jury verdict in Sig Sauer’s favor. The P320 is trusted by the U.S. military, law enforcement professionals, and responsible citizens worldwide. Sig Sauer is extremely proud of our outstanding safety record and quality firearms.”

Officials with law enforcement agencies in Washington state say they’re already working on adapting to a new firearm.

Tags: Gun safety, Guns, Police, Washington

A POPULAR HANDGUN, USED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CIVILIANS, IS NOW PERMANENTLY BANNED FROM TRAINING FACILITIES RUN BY THE WASHINGTON STATE CRIMINAL JUSTICE TRAINING COMMISSION (WSCJTC). THE HANDGUN IN QUESTION IS THE SIG SAUER P320.

MONICA ALEXANDER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE TRAINING COMMISSION TELLS KING 5 NEWS THE P320 CAN FIRE WITHOUT ANYONE PULLING THE TRIGGER.

THE TRAINING COMMISSION PAUSED USE OF THE P320 IN ITS FACILITIES IN OCTOBER 2024. OFFICIALS LAUNCHED AN INVESTIGATION AFTER THE P320 OF A POLICE RECRUIT ALLEGEDLY DISCHARGED WITHOUT A FINGER ON THE TRIGGER.

“A RECRUIT’S FIREARM DISCHARGED WHILE DRAWING, WITHOUT THEIR FINGER ON THE TRIGGER, INJURING AN INSTRUCTOR AND ANOTHER RECRUIT,” A COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER FOR THE TRAINING COMMISSION TOLD LOCAL NEWSPAPER “MY NORTHWEST”.

WITH THE CONCLUSION OF THE INVESTIGATION, THE TRAINING COMMISSION DECIDED TO PROHIBIT THE USE OF THE SIG SAUER P320 IN ITS TRAINING FACILITIES.

SIMILAR CASES HAVE SPRUNG UP ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

THE P320 HAS BEEN LINKED TO MORE THAN 100 LAWSUITS FROM CIVILIANS AND OFFICERS WHO CLAIM THEIR HANDGUNS FIRED WITHOUT THE TRIGGER BEING PULLED, NEW HAMPSHIRE PUBLIC RADIO REPORTS.

TWO POLICE OFFICERS IN TEXAS SAY THEY WERE SHOT WHEN THEIR HOLSTERED SIG SAUER P320 HANDGUNS FIRED – STRIKING EACH OF THEM IN THEIR LEG.

IN JUNE 2024, A FEDERAL JURY AWARDED A GEORGIA MAN MORE $2.3 MILLION DOLLARS AFTER HE CLAIMED HE WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED BY HIS HOLSTERED P320 HANDGUN WHEN IT FIRED AND NO ONE HAD TOUCHED THE TRIGGER.

LAWYERS FOR THE MAN ARGUED THE P320’S ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH ANY FORM OF AN EXTERNAL MANUAL SAFETY.

SIG SAUER APPEALED THE VERDICT AND JUST DAYS AGO, A FEDERAL JUDGE DECLINED TO DROP THE MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR JUDGMENT AGAINST THE GUN MAKER.

LAST YEAR, SIG SAUER POSTED A STATEMENT TO ITS WEBSITE STATING: “CONTRARY TO PRIOR REPORTING, CLAIMS THAT THE P320 IS CAPABLE OF FIRING WITHOUT A TRIGGER PULL ARE WITHOUT MERIT AND HAVE BEEN SOUNDLY REJECTED AS A MATTER OF LAW BY THIRTEEN SEPARATE COURTS, INCLUDING A UNANIMOUS JURY VERDICT IN SIG SAUER’S FAVOR. THE P320 IS TRUSTED BY THE U.S. MILITARY, LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFESSIONALS, AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS WORLDWIDE. SIG SAUER IS EXTREMELY PROUD OF OUR OUTSTANDING SAFETY RECORD AND QUALITY FIREARMS.”

OFFICIALS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN WASHINGTON STATE SAY THEY’RE ALREADY WORKING ON ADAPTING TO A NEW FIREARM.