Gun accidentally fired, Milwaukee police officer joins lawsuit
Gun accidentally fired, officer joins lawsuit
A Milwaukee police officer whose gun accidentally fired and injured his partner has now joined a federal lawsuit against the weapon's manufacturer.
MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee police officer whose gun accidentally fired and injured his partner has now joined a federal lawsuit against the weapon's manufacturer.
What they're saying:
Attorney Robert Zimmerman, who is based in Philadelphia, represents more than 100 people who claim the same thing: The SIG Sauer P320 fired without anyone pulling the trigger.
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"The reality is people are experiencing unintended discharges when their hands are not even on the gun," said Attorney Robert Zimmerman.
Twenty-two people, mostly law enforcement, are part of the latest lawsuit. That includes MPD Officer Yang Lee.
SIG Sauer P320
"His hand wasn’t on the gun," Zimmerman said. "The gun discharged while it was in its holster."
The backstory:
In September 2022, Lee was searching a suspect's vehicle when his SIG Sauer P320 fired. It struck and injured his partner. The officer who was injured when Lee's gun went off is part of another lawsuit against the gun manufacturer.
"Officer Lee does not trust this gun. He has had severe emotional distress from years and years being on the force," Zimmerman said.
Scene after MPD officer's SIG Sauer P320 accidentally discharged (2022)
Dig deeper:
MPD transitioned away from the P320 three years ago and replaced them with glocks after several incidents.
In July 2020, a SIG Sauer went off during an arrest and injured the officer's partner. Less than six months later, surveillance captured the moment a shot went off – the officer's hands weren't on the gun.
"They ought to know what they can do at this point," Zimmerman said.
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What's next:
The federal lawsuit calls for SIG Sauer to recall the weapon. It also seeks compensation.
If there isn't change, Zimmerman expects more lawsuits: "It’s not going to stop until SIG changes their ways and does the right thing."
FOX6 News reached out to SIG Sauer for comment but did not hear back by the deadline for this story.
The Source: FOX6 News interviewed Attorney Robert Zimmerman about the lawsuit and referenced prior coverage of the weapons' accidental firings for information in this report.