Former Tampa police officer sues Sig Sauer over alleged self-fired weapon causing serious injury

TAMPA, Fla. – A veteran Tampa police officer filed a lawsuit against gun manufacturer Sig Sauer on Tuesday.

He claims his service weapon, a Sig Sauer P320 pistol that was self-fired, seriously injured him.

Bob Northrop

Bob spent weeks in the hospital and months of rehab on his injured leg

The I-Team has learned that dozens of other incidents have been reported over the past five years in which this model was fired from a handgun without anyone pulling the trigger.

Bob Northrop has 49 years combined law enforcement experience, served as a Tampa police officer for 30 years, and then served as a reserve officer for the past 19 years.

He was well on his way to becoming the longest-serving officer in town until the unthinkable happened on February 27, 2020.

Surgery, screws, rods and rehab

“I had a side job playing the high school baseball and softball games,” Northrop said, patrolling the Jefferson High School ball fields, yards from dozens of students.

When he pulled on his duty belt trying to attach a set of keys, he said his department-issued firearm fired on its own in the holster.

“As soon as I touched my gun, it went off. When it happened, I didn’t know if someone shot me or what had happened. But it just scared the hell out of me, ”said Northrop.

A hollow point ball blasted bones in the leg and ankle, resulting in surgeries and screws, rods and rehab.

Bob Northrop

Northrop spent weeks in the hospital after a hollow point bullet from his service weapon smashed leg and ankle bones

“It is similar to many, many other incidents that have happened across the country,” said Attorney Nick Gurney, who is part of the legal team that Northrop is representing on his lawsuit.

The complaint states that Northrop is suing Sig Sauer “for design, manufacture, sale, distribution and inadequate warnings regarding an inappropriately dangerous and defective firearm”.

“It’s a gun that goes off if the trigger is not pulled. And it’s essentially that simple, ”Gurney said.

Gun had a history of previous problems

An estimated 500,000 Sig P320 handguns are in police and civilian hands.

Since 2016, dozens of incidents have been reported in 20 states in which this model of handgun was discharged without the trigger.

Northrop’s lawsuit alleges that during these incidents, Sig Sauer launched a “Safety Without Compromise” campaign in which the company claimed in marketing materials, “The P320 will not fire unless you want it to.”

The ABC Action News I team first reported possible problems with the Sig P320 in 2017.

At this point, the Tampa Police Department held 1,375 of the guns, which were purchased at more than $ 345,000.

In August 2017, Sig Sauer announced a “voluntary upgrade program” after a Connecticut SWAT team officer dropped his weapon while holstered and was shot by it.

Attorney Gurney believes the company has not done enough to ensure the safety of owners of this model gun.

“You don’t tell them if you want to send them back, you can, but they don’t have to. Or if you’ve spent a lot of money on it and don’t want to send it back, you don’t have to. It’s not a recall, ”said Gurney.

The Tampa Police Department participated in this upgrade program and received new weapons.

Northrop qualified in April 2019 with its new “upgraded” handgun.

“Basically all they said was that there was a problem with the Sig P320, but that it was related to a fall. And they assured us that it was fixed, ”said Northrop.

He told the I-Team that by this point he believed all problems with this weapon were resolved.

Other reported breakdowns with “upgraded” Sig P320 handguns

Then other incidents happened with the P320.

The gun holstered by a Pasco County school resource officer went off in a crowded middle school cafeteria in 2019. The officer was released, but luckily no one was injured.

Virginia Sheriff’s deputy, Marcie Vadnais, wasn’t so lucky.

When she took off her duty belt to take part in a workout, her Sig P320 fired and hit her in the thigh.

“There are three screws. One who goes down on my knee. Two that go into my thighbones, ”Vadnais told Boston ABC subsidiary WCBV last November.

“I couldn’t feel my leg at all. I felt completely numb to the toes, ”said Vadnais.

She sued Sig Sauer and settled for an undisclosed amount after undergoing four operations.

Northrop believes the number of incidents reported nationwide shows that there is a problem with the gun.

“You can’t all be wrong. You can’t all lie. You can’t all be crazy. There is a serious problem. And more people are being injured, ”said Northrop.

Northrop hopes its lawsuit will send a message to Sig Sauer.

ABC Action News I team

Lawsuit claims that weapon is an “unreasonably dangerous and defective firearm”

“I hope you get word that it is time to recall that gun. It is dangerous. It hurts people, ”he said.

We contacted Sig Sauer and the Tampa Police Department about the lawsuit.

TPD, which was not a named party in the lawsuit, says the department does not comment on any pending litigation.

We haven’t heard from Sig Sauer.

If you have a story for the I-Team to investigate, email us at adam@abcactionnews.com

The post Former Tampa police officer sues Sig Sauer over alleged self-fired weapon causing serious injury first appeared on Daily Florida Press.

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