When Kara Kenney of WRTV Investigates showed up at the Indiana State Police shooting range in Pendleton, the timing felt symbolic, because the weather was in the single digits and the conversation was just as cold and serious: what happens when an agency rolls out a new duty gun that has been praised by some departments, attacked in court by others, and debated nationwide for years.
Kenney’s report centers on a simple, expensive fact that sits at the heart of it all—Indiana State Police bought 1,350 Sig Sauer P320 pistols and holsters for $1.17 million, and those purchases are now landing in a national argument about whether the P320 can fire when it shouldn’t.
Indiana State Police leaders told Kenney they didn’t choose the gun on a whim, and they clearly want the public to understand this wasn’t some impulse buy that happened after flipping through a catalog.
At the same time, Kenney laid out why the P320 isn’t just another pistol model number, because officers and civilians in multiple states have alleged “unintended” or “uncommanded” discharges, and those allegations have sparked lawsuits, injuries, and even political actions like the New Jersey Attorney General’s 2025 lawsuit seeking to stop sales.
A New Sidearm, A Big Price Tag, And A Public Debate
Kenney reported that the Indiana State Police decision started with a practical problem: their current firearm was discontinued, after being used by the agency for about a dozen years.
That matters, because when a major agency loses a long-running service weapon, they’re not simply buying a new tool – they’re replacing a training culture, a maintenance pipeline, and years of familiarity that can’t be swapped overnight without risk.
Captain Ron Galaviz told Kenney the agency began an “explorative process” once it became clear the old model wouldn’t be available, and he described a selection process that included researching seven options from three manufacturers and then pushing thousands upon thousands of rounds through test guns.
Kenney made a point of repeating Galaviz’s blunt line about how it works in real life: you don’t open a magazine, decide something looks cool, and click “quantity 1300” on a website.
There’s a reason agencies talk like that when they’re under scrutiny, because once the public hears “$1.17 million,” the next thought is often, “Did you do your homework,” and the agency is trying to answer that before anyone even asks.
Inside ISP’s Testing And The “No Issues” Claims So Far
At the range, Kenney had Sgt. Scott Keegan – a public information officer – walk her through the new service weapon and what officers should expect as it rolls out.
Keegan noted a basic difference right away: he told Kenney it’s about a pound heavier than the prior carry weapon, which doesn’t sound like much until you remember police wear a full belt for long shifts, in cars, on foot, in awkward body positions, day after day.
Kenney asked him the question that cuts through marketing and arguments: how many rounds have you fired, and did anything weird happen.
Keegan said he’d fired more than 3,000 rounds through the P320 and reported no issues whatsoever, and that’s the kind of practical answer agencies like because it sounds simple, measurable, and real.
ISP also told Kenney the P320 was introduced first to a smaller group—SWAT officers and firearms instructors—which is a common approach because those groups tend to notice odd behavior faster, and they’re usually the first people tapped to teach everyone else.
Even if you believe the gun is perfectly safe, that slow rollout makes sense, because field experience reveals things that a controlled test environment can miss, especially when thousands of people start wearing a firearm daily in unpredictable situations.
The P320 Controversy That Refuses To Die
Kenney didn’t treat “national safety concerns” like a vague cloud floating over the story; she put names and injuries on it, including a case from Florida involving Tampa police officer Bob Northrop, who told WRTV’s sister station WFTS that his P320 fired when he touched his gun.
Northrop’s description is the kind that rattles people, because he told the station he didn’t even know what had happened at first and thought he might be under attack, which is exactly the kind of moment duty gear is supposed to prevent, not create.
Kenney also introduced Pennsylvania attorney Robert Zimmerman, who said his firm has spent six years litigating more than 130 lawsuits alleging the P320 is defective, and he claimed they’re aware of over 400 uncommanded firings tied to the platform.
Zimmerman described the injury pattern in a way that makes grim sense: a lot of the claims involve lower-leg injuries, the kind you’d expect if a gun discharges near a duty holster, with some clients suffering shattered legs, multiple surgeries, and, according to him, even deaths.
Kenney referenced a lawsuit alleging a Greensburg, Indiana man – identified as a former Navy officer – had to have his index finger amputated after his personal P320 discharged without a trigger pull, which brings the national debate back into Indiana’s backyard.
To push beyond claims and counterclaims, Kenney said Zimmerman’s firm shared body camera examples from other states, including what she described as a 2023 incident in Montville, Connecticut, where a pistol appeared to fire as an officer bent down, and a 2022 incident in Maine where deputies reacted in disbelief to a report that a gun discharged while still in the holster.
Those clips matter because people trust what they can see, and a body cam moment – especially one filled with confusion from other deputies – is a lot harder to shrug off than a written allegation.
New Jersey’s Lawsuit And Agencies That Stopped Using It
Kenney’s report also pointed to a major political and legal flashpoint: the New Jersey Attorney General’s October 2025 lawsuit against Sig Sauer, which sought to halt P320 sales and claimed the handgun had a “well-documented propensity” to fire unintentionally, including in a case that killed a New Jersey police officer.
Kenney noted that the New Jersey AG’s office listed agencies that reportedly stopped using the P320, including major city departments like Denver, Houston, Milwaukee, Chicago, and San Francisco, which is a list that will make any public-safety administrator pay attention, even if they disagree with the conclusions.
For regular people reading this, it can feel like whiplash: one state is trying to stop sales, some departments say they’re done with it, while other agencies continue issuing it and say the safety claims are exaggerated or unproven.
That’s what makes Kenney’s story feel bigger than Indiana, because it captures the modern public-safety reality – equipment decisions don’t just live in supply rooms anymore; they live in lawsuits, headlines, legislative statements, and viral clips.
ISP’s Response: “We’d Put Our Process Up Against Anybody’s”
Kenney asked Galaviz directly about the list of agencies that stopped using the P320 and the lawsuits, and his answer was careful but firm: he said he wouldn’t speak to “anybody else’s lawsuit,” and he kept circling back to Indiana’s testing and vetting process.
Galaviz told Kenney that ISP sent firearms instructors to meet with Sig Sauer, that officers helped choose which guns to test, and that they conducted independent testing they’re “undeniably comfortable with.”
When Kenney pressed on the bigger question – what do you say to people worried about public safety and officer safety – Galaviz leaned into confidence, saying he’d put ISP’s process up against anybody’s and that he believes they’re delivering a safe product.
Kenney also reported that ISP selected holsters designed to reduce “holster intrusion,” meaning the idea that something can get inside a holster and contact the trigger, which is one of the common theories raised in duty-gear debates even when the core argument is “it fired by itself.”
There’s a practical logic there: even if you think the gun itself isn’t the problem, you can still reduce risk by tightening up how the gun is carried, how the holster is shaped, and how easily foreign objects can enter.
Kenney also noted the department said at least 125 agencies in Indiana already use the P320, and she reached out to the State Fraternal Order of Police, where the president told WRTV he hadn’t heard negatives.
She also reported the Indiana Department of Natural Resources bought the P320 in 2020, and DNR communications director Holly Lawson told WRTV they’re aware of the claims but haven’t experienced issues.
All of that doesn’t “prove” the gun is safe or unsafe, but it does show why the controversy is so stubborn: different agencies are living different experiences, and people tend to trust the experience closest to them.
Sig Sauer’s Denial And The “Trigger Must Move” Claim
Kenney said she requested an on-camera interview with Sig Sauer and didn’t receive a response, but she also included what the company says publicly about the P320.
According to the statement Kenney cited, Sig Sauer describes the P320 as one of the safest, most advanced pistols in the world, meeting and exceeding safety standards, and insists it cannot discharge without the trigger being moved to the rear, claiming that conclusion has been verified through extensive testing by the company, the U.S. military, law enforcement, and independent laboratories.
That’s the hard wall at the center of this story: plaintiffs and some officers say, “It went off without a trigger pull,” while the manufacturer says, “That cannot happen.”
When two sides make absolute statements like that, the debate usually doesn’t end with a press release – it ends with discovery, expert testimony battles, and what juries believe after hearing technical arguments laid out under oath.
Training, Transition, And The Reality Of What Happens Next
Kenney reported Indiana State Police plans to roll out the P320s over the next six months, and she asked what kind of training officers will receive to transition from the prior model.
Galaviz said officers will go through a four-day transition, firing 1,000-plus rounds, with additional training required multiple times a year so handling becomes muscle memory and habit.
That part is easy to overlook, but it’s arguably where safety lives, because a new firearm – different weight, different feel, potentially different trigger characteristics – changes how people draw, reholster, and handle stress, even if the gun is mechanically flawless.
And here’s the uncomfortable truth that sits under Kenney’s entire report: even if the P320 controversy vanished tomorrow, any major equipment change for a statewide police force is still a high-stakes moment, because mistakes with firearms are permanent and training is the only buffer you really control.
At the same time, if you’re the public watching this, it’s also fair to think, “If there’s even a chance this platform has an unresolved issue, why choose it at all,” especially when other agencies claim they walked away.
Kenney doesn’t pretend there’s an easy answer, but she makes the fault line clear: Indiana is staking its trust on internal testing, holster selection, and training, while critics point to lawsuits, alleged uncommanded discharges, and a growing list of high-profile concerns.
If nothing else, this is one of those stories that won’t be settled by one state’s purchase order, because the P320 debate is bigger than Indiana – and now Indiana has officially stepped into it.
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, John developed a love for the great outdoors early on. With years of experience as a wilderness guide, he’s navigated rugged terrains and unpredictable weather patterns. John is also an avid hunter and fisherman who believes in sustainable living. His focus on practical survival skills, from building shelters to purifying water, reflects his passion for preparedness. When he’s not out in the wild, you can find him sharing his knowledge through writing, hoping to inspire others to embrace self-reliance.
