INDIANAPOLIS — The second-largest police department in Indiana is rolling out new firearms for its officers.
WATCH FULL STORY BELOW
Indiana State Police purchased 1,350 Sig Sauer P320 pistols at a total cost of $1.17 million, including holsters.
The Sig Sauer P320s have faced safety concerns and questions across the country for unintended discharges. Some law enforcement officers and civilians say the gun fired without anyone touching the trigger.
WRTV Investigates has been digging into those concerns and sat down with Indiana State Police to find out what they’re doing to make sure the public and officers are safe.
Indiana State Police ran tests prior to rolling out Sig Sauer P320s
On a day with single-digit temperatures, WRTV Investigates and Sgt. Scott Keegan bundled up at the ISP’s shooting range in Pendleton.
Sgt. Scott Keegan showed WRTV their new service weapon, the Sig Sauer P320.
“It’s about a pound heavier than our original carry weapon,” said Sgt. Scott Keegan, a public information officer with the Indiana State Police.
Indiana State Police Capt. Ron Galaviz says Sig Sauer stopped making their current gun, a model they’ve used for a dozen years.
"In 2023, when we knew Sig was going to discontinue the firearm we are using, we began an explorative process to find a viable replacement,” said Indiana State Police Capt. Ron Galaviz.
Capt. Galaviz says ISP researched seven different firearm options from three manufacturers, plus the agency conducted all kinds of tests.
“Putting probably thousands upon thousands of rounds of ammunition through these various firearms,” said Capt. Galaviz.
In December 2025, Indiana State Police purchased 1,350 P320 pistols and holsters for $1.17 million dollars.
"It’s not like we opened up a guns and ammo magazine and thought that’s a cool looking gun, I’m going to the website, quantity 1300, click,” said Capt. Galaviz. “It doesn’t work that way. Not at all."
Once they decided on the Sig Sauer P320, Indiana State Police introduced it to a small group of SWAT officers and firearms instructors, including Sgt. Keegan.
Sgt. Keegan has fired more than 3,000 rounds on his P320.
“No issues whatsoever,” said Sgt. Keegan.
Police officers, civilians across the country have reported issues with P320s
Police officers and civilians across the country have reported issues with the Sig Sauer P320 pistol.
Tampa police officer Bob Northrop told our sister station WFTS he was hurt after his P320 service weapon fired by itself.
RELATED | Tampa police officer files lawsuit alleging weapon fired by itself
“As soon as I touched my gun, it went off,” said Northrop. “When it happened, I didn’t know if someone was shooting at me. It scared the devil out of me."
Pennsylvania attorney Robert Zimmerman and his law firm, Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky, have spent six years litigating more than 130 lawsuits alleging the Sig Sauer P320 is defective.
"I have 130 clients who didn’t want their gun to fire,” said Zimmerman. “In terms of unintended discharges, we are now aware of over 400 times where these guns have fired uncommanded."
Zimmerman explained what types of injuries his clients have experienced.
“A lot of these claims involve lower leg injuries,” said Zimmerman. “We’ve had clients who’ve had their legs shattered with multiple surgeries. We also unfortunately represent people who have died when there’s been an unintended discharge from the P320."
One lawsuit alleges a man from Greensburg, Indiana, a former Navy officer, had to have his finger amputated after his personal P320 discharged when he wasn’t touching the trigger.
Zimmerman’s law firm shared body camera footage of P320 incidents from around the country, including a 2023 example from Montville, Connecticut, which appears to show the gun fire in its holster as the officer bends down.
Body camera video from 2022 showed the moments after a Maine deputy was shot in the leg.
“My gun just went off in the holster!” the deputy yelled.
Fellow deputies responded and were confused as they looked at his gun.
“It just went off! It’s still in the holster,” responded another deputy.
In October 2025, the New Jersey Attorney General filed a lawsuit against Sig Sauer seeking to halt the sale of the P320 handgun, which they say killed a New Jersey law enforcement officer “due to its well-documented propensity to fire unintentionally.”
The New Jersey Attorney General listed the following public safety agencies that have stopped using the P320:
- Police departments in Denver, Houston, Milwaukee, San Antonio, Chicago and San Francisco
- Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training
- Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission
- Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA)
- Various municipalities in Connecticut, including Montville
- Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, Florida
- Sheriff’s Office in Bexar County, Texas
“We believe the cases we noted in our 2025 complaint are just the tip of the iceberg—but even one life lost is one too many,” the New Jersey Attorney General’s office said in a statement to WRTV. “That is why we are seeking not only a mandatory recall of the P320, but also a halt to the company’s false and deceptive advertising.”
“Every confidence that they’re safe": Indiana State Police stands behind its testing, research
WRTV Investigates asked Capt. Galaviz about the departments that have stopped using the P320, as well as the lawsuits alleging the weapon is defective.
“I’m not going to speak to anybody else’s lawsuit,” said Galaviz. “We are going to fall back on the testing and vetting process that we’re completely undeniably comfortable with."
Capt. Galaviz says ISP sent firearms instructors to meet with Sig Sauer, and officers picked which guns to test.
"We did our own independent testing,” said Capt. Galaviz. “We did our own independent vetting."
- WRTV Investigates: What do you say to people that are concerned about the safety of the public and your officers?
- Capt. Galaviz: I say that trusting the internal processes that went into the selection and ultimate purchase of this firearm. I think we would put that process up against anybody’s process. We are still confident we are delivering to our personnel a safe product for their day-to-day use.
- WRTV Investigates: You’re confident these are safe?
- Capt. Galaviz: I have every confidence that they’re safe.
The holsters purchased by Indiana State Police are aimed at preventing “holster intrusion,” which is when something can get into the holster and make contact with the trigger.
“The holsters we have selected will really go a long way to hopefully prevent that type of issue for us,” said Capt. Galaviz.
Galaviz said 125 agencies around the state use the Sig Sauer P320.
WRTV Investigates contacted the Indiana Fraternal Order of Police, and its president told us they have not heard of any issues with the firearm.
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) bought the P320 in 2020.
"We are aware of the claims related to this firearm but have not experienced any issues,” said Holly Lawson, Communications Director at the DNR, in an email to WRTV.
Sig Sauer Responds to criticism over P320
WRTV Investigates requested an on-camera interview with Sig Sauer.
We have not heard back.
However, a statement on the company’s website says, “The P320 pistol is one of the safest, most advanced pistols in the world -meeting and exceeding all industry safety standards. Its design has been thoroughly tested and validated by the U.S. Military and law enforcement agencies at the federal, state and local levels.”
READ | Sig Sauer Statement
The company went on to say, “The P320 CANNOT, under any circumstances, discharge without the trigger first being moved to the rear. This has been verified through exhaustive testing by SIG SAUER engineers, the U.S. Military, several major federal and state law enforcement agencies, and independent laboratories."
Sig Sauer also released a statement in response to the New Jersey Attorney General’s office lawsuit, saying it’s incorrect that the P320 can fire uncommanded.
“To date, nearly twenty (20) P320 lawsuits have been dismissed,” read the Sig Sauer statement. “Despite years of litigation, plaintiffs’ 'experts' have been repeatedly excluded from testifying after being unable to re-create a P320 discharge without a trigger pull. SIG SAUER intends to seek dismissal of AG Platkin’s baseless complaint.”
In 2017, Sig Sauer offered a voluntary upgrade program to address allegations that guns fired when dropped.
While Tampa police officer Bob Northrop lost his lawsuit against Sig Sauer, attorney Rob Zimmerman says his firm has won at least three jury awards in other cases.
"All three of those juries came back finding that the P320 was defective as designed and that the defect was the cause of the injuries,” said Zimmerman.
Indiana State Police plans training for officers on P320
Indiana State Police will roll out the new P320 pistols to its officers over the next six months.
We are going to go through a four-day transition from the previous to the new model,” said Capt. Galaviz. “That will include 1,000 plus rounds."
Officers are also required to attend additional training multiple times a year.
“We reinforce those things so they become muscle memory,” said Capt. Galaviz. “They become habit."
FULL STATEMENT FROM SIG SAUER ON ITS WEBSITE:
Recently, there have been a number of reports and claims regarding the safety of the P320 pistol and its use by the U.S. Military and law enforcement agencies. We understand you may have questions. We want to address your concerns and provide you with full, complete, and accurate information.
SIG SAUER has ALWAYS and will continue to put the safety and security of the U.S. Military, the law enforcement community, our consumers, and the public first. To this end, we want to be sure concerned citizens have access to complete facts. The P320 pistol is one of the safest, most advanced pistols in the world -meeting and exceeding all industry safety standards. Its design has been thoroughly tested and validated by the U.S. Military and law enforcement agencies at the federal, state and local levels. In addition, the P320 has been rigorously tested, and is currently in use by militaries and law enforcement agencies around the world.
FBI Testing and Report
A recently publicized internal report from the FBI’s Ballistic Research Facility (BRF) created some confusion and raised questions about the safety of the P320.
The FBI prepared this report for the Michigan State Police after an officer was involved in an accidental discharge. SIG SAUER engineers met with the FBI and Michigan State Police on several occasions to review the report and the incident.
Ultimately, the FBI conducted a more detailed, repeatable and comprehensive battery of testing using compatible equipment. The subsequent testing resulted in zero instances of failures, and the Michigan State Police are now confidently issuing officers P320-based pistols.
The FBI BRF has yet to make any official claims or statements regarding the safety of the P320 pistol or any of its variants. However, we are urging the FBI BRF and FBI Director Kash Patel to release a full and complete testing and evaluation report on their updated P320 safety testing.
An internal memo from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/ U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was recently posted online, stating the agency was halting its use of the P320.
Many online media outlets immediately sought to attribute this to the above-referenced FBI BRF report, which is incorrect. DHS has never raised any safety concerns about the P320, and ICE has since extended its existing contract with SIG SAUER another two years.
Since DHS has yet to comment publicly correcting their improperly leaked memo or any statements questioning the safety of the P320, we are now urging ICE to release all information on P320 testing. SIG SAUER is honored to continue aiding ICE in their mission to protect America.
U.S. Air Force M18
There was a recent tragic incident at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, which resulted in the death of an Airman. Because the incident involved the discharge of a (P32-based) M18 pistol, the Air Force is actively conducting an evaluation of M18 pistols within the specific Command where the incident happened.
This cautionary step is standard procedure. We proactively offered assistance to the U.S. military as they investigated the incident. Contrary to several online reports, (P320-based) M17 and M18 pistols remain on active duty with all branches of the U.S. Military, including the U.S. Air Force, defending freedom around the world. We have absolute confidence in the U.S. Military’s ability to conduct a thorough investigation and report their findings. As we learn more information about the investigation, we will continue to provide updated information.
P320 Range and Training Bans
Following several of these inaccurate reports, a number of ranges, training providers, and training facilities made the reactionary decision to ban the P320 and its use in their facilities. We are actively working to provide these individuals with accurate information along with a detailed understanding of the P320 and its safety features. If you are impacted by a P320 range or a training provider ban, we urge you to reach out to SIG CUSTOMER SERVICE: 603-610-3000 Option 1 or send a message here so we can clarify any misinformation and provide the truth.
The P320 CANNOT, under any circumstances, discharge without the trigger first being moved to the rear. This has been verified through exhaustive testing by SIG SAUER engineers, the U.S. Military, several major federal and state law enforcement agencies, and independent laboratories. This video provides a detailed view into all of the various safety features of the P320 and provides a detailed explanation of how the safety system works; for further information on the P320, please visit here.
As with any gun, the P320 will discharge if the trigger is pulled to the rear. Accordingly, SIG SAUER continues to remind its customers, employees, and the public to employ all safe gun-handling practices as spelled out in detail in our product manuals. The SIG SAUER Academy remains a resource to customers, employees, and the public in offering various firearms safety courses.
We respect the public’s concern and are actively working to provide as much information as possible. We sincerely thank you for your continued support of SIG SAUER and urge anyone with additional questions or concerns regarding the P320 and/or safe firearms handling to reach out to our customer service team.
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