Florida lawmaker urges law enforcement agencies to suspend use of SIG Sauer P320 handgun, citing safety issues
TAMPA, Fla. - A Florida legislator is asking law enforcement agencies to stop using a widely-issued handgun after a series of unintentional discharges raised alarms about safety.
What we know
State Representative Danny Alvarez, R-Hillsborough County, is calling on agencies across the state to suspend the use of the SIG Sauer P320. According to Alvarez, the handgun is approved for use in at least nine departments, including Tampa and Plant City's police departments.
The request follows an investigation, co-authored by The Washington Post, that linked the P320 to more than 100 incidents in which the gun reportedly discharged while holstered, resulting in at least 80 injuries since 2016.
"At least until we can figure out if we’ve got a permanent solution that makes that weapon reliable and confident," Alvarez said, "I want to see people stop using the SIG P320."
The backstory
Among those injured was retired Tampa police officer Bob Northrop, who said the weapon fired without warning while he adjusted his jacket in 2020.
"I was scared to death," Northrop told FOX 13 on Friday. "I thought somebody at first might be shooting at me, but I stood there for a second and realized that there was something wrong."
The bullet shattered his ankle.
What they're saying
Northrop and others believe the gun poses a threat not just to law enforcement, but to the people they’re sworn to protect.
"Not only do people’s lives get put at risk, the officer’s life, anybody that they’re around, in schools, it’s children," he said.
"Is it worth keeping and finding out later when we have a cop get killed or a citizen that they're trying to protect?" Alvarez added.
This week, the U.S. Air Force paused use of its version of the P320 following the death of an airman in Wyoming.
The other side
FOX 13 reached out to more than a dozen agencies in the Tampa Bay area. Of those who responded, only TPD and Planty City police currently use this model firearm.
While Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said the department is now evaluating alternatives, Plant City PD said there are no current plans to suspend or discontinue the use of the weapon.
In a statement to FOX 13, Bercaw wrote, in part, "the mere suggestion that there may be safety concerns regarding a department-issued weapon becomes a priority for our agency."
SIG Sauer did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but on its website, the company wrote:
"The P320 meets and exceeds all industry safety standards" and "The P320 CANNOT, under any circumstances, discharge without a trigger pull. This is verified through extensive testing by SIG SAUER, the U.S. Military, elite law enforcement agencies, and independent laboratories."
What we don't know
It’s unclear whether any departments plan to formally suspend the P320 pending investigation, or whether SIG Sauer will issue new guidance or updates.
The Source
Information for this story came from interviews with retired officer Bob Northrop and State Rep. Danny Alvarez, along with a statement from Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw and details from a joint investigation by The Washington Post and The Trace, a publication that focuses on gun-related news.
1 comment:
I also personally own three SIG pistols. None of these is a 320 or even similar to a 320 as far as design goes. I find it difficult to believe that all of these incidents, including at least one fatality, are operator error or holster issues. It should be noted that the two civil cases that have been decided did NOT address the issue head on. They addressed the lack of a manual safety on the variation of the weapons that were the subject of the lawsuits.
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