New Jersey sues Sig Sauer over P320 handgun linked to unintentional shootings and officer death
TRENTON, NJ — New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced a sweeping lawsuit Thursday against gunmaker Sig Sauer, Inc., demanding a mandatory recall of its P320 handgun after multiple incidents where the weapon allegedly fired without the trigger being pulled — including one that resulted in the death of a decorated police officer.
The lawsuit, filed in New Jersey Superior Court by the Statewide Affirmative Firearms Enforcement (SAFE) Office and the Division of Consumer Affairs (DCA), alleges that Sig Sauer knowingly sold a defective firearm and misled consumers and law enforcement agencies about its safety. The P320, marketed as “safe and reliable,” has been tied to unintentional discharges across the country, including in New Jersey cities such as West Orange, Montville, and Phillipsburg.
The legal action comes after years of reported incidents, including the fatal shooting of Detective Lieutenant Walter Imbert of the Orange Police Department in April 2023. Imbert was cleaning his department-issued P320 when it fired without a trigger pull, fatally striking him, according to state investigators.
State officials say the P320, introduced in 2014, has an internal safety mechanism that can fail due to ordinary movements, vibrations, or holstering, and may discharge even when fully holstered. The U.S. Army had previously refused to accept the P320 for military use until Sig Sauer added an external thumb safety — a feature absent from most civilian and law enforcement models.
Despite growing concern and litigation from gun owners and law enforcement officers, Sig Sauer has continued to sell the firearm without significant safety modifications, according to the lawsuit. In 2017, the company introduced a limited “voluntary upgrade” program aimed only at drop-related discharges, which state officials now argue was insufficient and misleading.
The suit also claims Sig Sauer has launched a campaign to blame users for accidental firings while continuing to market the P320 with phrases like “won’t fire unless you want it to,” and “chosen by the U.S. military” — without noting that the military versions include safety upgrades absent from civilian models.
The lawsuit seeks a statewide recall of all P320 pistols sold in New Jersey at Sig Sauer’s expense, a halt to what officials call deceptive marketing, and financial penalties in the form of damages, restitution, and legal costs.
Law enforcement agencies across the country have begun removing the P320 from service. Departments in cities including Denver, Houston, Milwaukee, San Antonio, Chicago, and San Francisco have switched weapons following unintentional discharge incidents. Similar steps have been taken by public safety agencies in Oregon, Washington, Pennsylvania, Florida, Texas, and Connecticut.
New Jersey officials argue that Sig Sauer violated both the state’s Firearms Industry Public Safety Law and the Consumer Fraud Act.
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Key Points
- New Jersey has filed a lawsuit against Sig Sauer over its P320 handgun, alleging it fires unintentionally without trigger pulls
- The gun has been linked to injuries and the 2023 death of Orange Police Detective Lieutenant Walter Imbert
- The lawsuit demands a statewide recall, a halt to deceptive marketing, and financial penalties