Pistol believed to go off without touching trigger banned from WA police training
Feb 27, 2025, 2:05 PM | Updated: 6:42 pm
The P320 can be turned into a semi-automatic pistol. (Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
The Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (WSCJTC) banned the SIG Sauer P320 because it allegedly fired without a police recruit pulling the trigger.
“A recruit’s firearm discharged while drawing, without their finger on the trigger, injuring an instructor and another recruit,” David Quinlan, WSCJTC communications manager, told MyNorthwest. “Given similar national incidents, WSCJTC took precautionary action on October 17, 2024, pausing the use of the firearm until a workgroup and the academy conducted a full investigation.”
The WSCJTC provides training to law enforcement in Washington state.
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Incidents with P320 semi-automatic pistol growing
After an internal investigation, Executive Director Monica Alexander and the leadership team decided to prohibit the SIG Sauer P320 in training.
“This prohibition will remain in effect, and WSCJTC will continue to support agencies impacted by the decision,” Quinlan said.
The Bellevue Police Department, Burlington Police Department, and Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office use P320s.
Incidents with the P320 have been popping up nationwide.
WSCJTC had launched a work group investigation, reviewing on-site inspections of the recruit’s firearm, historical cases of misfires, legal cases, and military and law enforcement reports, Quinlan said.
The cost of replacing them can be significant because it requires new weapons, supplies and training.
One law enforcement official described the P320 to KING 5, which broke the story, as, “Literally like setting a ticking time bomb wherever it’s sitting waiting for it to go off.”
