Guns Prone To Accidental Discharge Nearly Done Being Purged: Milwaukee PD

MILWAUKEE, WI — After officers in the Milwaukee Police Department raised issues about their sidearms accidentally going off on their own, the department has largely removed the guns from the force in recent months, police said in a news release Thursday.

Of the 1,572 sworn members of the department, 1,489 have switched over to a new Glock sidearm since the changes began in January, Milwaukee police said. Other officers who are on leave will transition to the new weapon when they return, police said.

Meanwhile, the majority of the problematic Sig Sauer P320 guns are no longer in service, police said.

A Washington Post article from April 11 revealed how members of the department feared the sidearm. Milwaukee Police Association union head Andrew Wagner told the newspaper that officers are "not taking it home. They don't want it around their family."

The newspaper obtained memos from the department that noted an increase in accidental discharges with the weapon.

A report by FOX 6 News looked into why the guns are associated with accidental discharges. The union told the outlet in Sept. 2022 that there have been at least four accidental discharges since the weapon went into service in 2019.

New Hampshire-based Sig Sauer has faced a string of federal lawsuits in connection with the firearm. One such suit in December 2022 claimed 20 injuries in connection with the P320 pistol, according to a report at the time by New Hampshire Public Radio.