A federal jury has once again declared the SIG Sauer P320 pistol to be defectively designed, following a significant lawsuit filed by a Cambridge police officer who sustained severe injuries from an unintentional discharge of the weapon while on duty.
Despite the jury siding with SIG Sauer on the point that Officer Jacques Desrosiers “voluntarily and unreasonably used the P320 pistol knowing that it was defective and dangerous,” thereby preventing him from receiving compensatory damages, the finding of defective design marks a crucial victory for firearm safety advocates.
Attorney Robert W. Zimmerman, representing numerous injured SIG Sauer gun owners, expressed disappointment regarding the lack of compensatory damages but underscored satisfaction that a jury has now, for the third consecutive time, affirmed the P320’s defective design as the cause of Officer Desrosiers’ injury.
Conversely, SIG Sauer maintains that the P320 cannot discharge without the trigger being pulled, a claim they assert has been validated through extensive testing by their engineers, the U.S. Military, several federal and state law enforcement agencies, and independent laboratories.
However, the Cambridge, Massachusetts, Police Department alone reportedly experienced four unintended discharges with the P320 after transitioning to the pistol, highlighting a concerning pattern that prompted a departmental review and eventual change in equipment.
Officer Desrosiers’ complaint vividly details his October 2019 incident, where his department-issued P320, securely holstered, unexpectedly discharged as he walked towards the police station, causing devastating injury to his scrotum, left inner thigh, and right knee.
This incident is not isolated, with other law enforcement personnel, such as Houston Police Officer Richard Fernandez, also reporting their P320s firing by themselves while holstered and untouched, further fueling concerns about the pistol’s inherent safety.
The backdrop to these legal challenges includes active efforts by a coalition of law enforcement professionals urging the House of Representatives to reject a Senate-passed amendment that would grant New Hampshire-based SIG Sauer immunity from future lawsuits concerning its P320 9mm handgun.
In response to mounting safety concerns and legal pressures, the Cambridge Police Department, mirroring actions taken by many other law enforcement agencies nationwide, made the responsible decision to discontinue the P320 and procure safer alternative pistols for its officers, prioritizing their personnel’s well-being over manufacturer loyalty.
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