Tampa officer sues Sig Sauer for alleged defect that caused misfire, injury

TAMPA, Fla. - A Tampa Police Reserve Officer says his department-issued service weapon fired without pulling the trigger, seriously injuring him. The 30-year veteran of the force is now suing the company that manufactures the firearm.

Last February, Bob Northrop was working an extra duty assignment as a TPD Reserve Officer patrolling Jefferson High School during a baseball game. Northrop says he was standing just feet from students and their families when his hand brushed his holstered service weapon. 

"And the very second I touched the gun, it discharged," Northrop said. "I tried to take another step and I couldn't."

The 69-year-old needed emergency surgery after a 9mm hollow-point bullet shattered his leg and ankle, causing permanent injuries.

"I've got eight small screws, four very large screws, one plate, and one long rod in my leg now," said Northrop.

Nearly a year-and-a-half later, Northrop is still recovering and in pain. However, it is the "what ifs" that keep him up at night.

"If this is what happened and my gun discharged without me pulling the trigger, totally uncommanded, then something is seriously wrong," he said. "And it could have actually struck one of the kids in the bleachers or on the baseball field."

Last week, Northrop and his legal team filed a civil suit against gun maker Sig Sauer "…for the design, manufacture, sale, distribution, inadequate warnings related to an unreasonably dangerous and defective firearm."

"The P320 is capable of discharging without the trigger being pulled," said Northrop’s Attorney, Nicholas Gurney. "It's not how any gun should function. And, and we have a genuine, serious public safety concern about that."

The 56-page complaint says the P320 handgun can fire with just a bump, tap, vibration or drop. Putting officers and everyone around them at risk of being shot, injured or killed.

"We have since learned about other TPD-reported incidents that we're looking into," Gurney said.

Northrop’s legal team represents nearly two-dozen people across the nation whose P320s fired without pulling the trigger. They say Sig Sauer knows about the firearm’s defective design and is being negligent.

"I am emphatic that I didn't do anything illegal against the rules, against policy, or anything else," said Northrop. "That gun discharged by itself."

Northrop hopes his lawsuit sends a message to the public and other officers about just how dangerous this weapon might be.

"Sig needs to get up, and stand up, and face up to what they've done and recall this gun," he said. "Somebody could end up getting killed. And that's unacceptable."

FOX 13 News reached out to both the Tampa Police Department and Sig Sauer about this lawsuit. TPD says it does not comment on pending litigation, and so far, Sig Sauer has not gotten back to us.