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MPD transition from Sig Sauer P320s to new Glock service weapon nearly complete

"it's a huge relief for our members to know the gun they're carrying and going to be bringing around their home and around citizens and the public won't misfire without the trigger being pulled," the police association president said.

MPD transition from Sig Sauer P320s to new Glock service weapon nearly complete

"it's a huge relief for our members to know the gun they're carrying and going to be bringing around their home and around citizens and the public won't misfire without the trigger being pulled," the police association president said.

BE NO CHARGES FILED AGAINST THEM. TONIGHT, MOST MILWAUKEE POLICE OFFICERS HAVE A NEW GUN IN THEIR HOLSTER. THEY ARE NOW USING GLOCK PISTOLS AS THE DEPARTMENT TRANSITIONS AWAY FROM THE SIG SAUER P THREE, 2012 NEWS INVESTIGATES FIRST EXPOSED THE CONCERN THAT P 320 COULD FIRE ON THEIR OWN. INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER DERRICK ROSE BROKE THAT STORY AND TODAY’S DEVELOPMENTS. AND DERRICK, THE HEAD OF THE POLICE UNION, CALLS THE TRANSITION A HUGE RELIEF. JOYCE, WE KNOW OF AT LEAST SIX INCIDENTS ACROSS THE STATE OF WISCONSIN WHERE OFFICERS SAY THE GUNS FIRED ON THEIR OWN. HALF OF THOSE ARE MILWAUKEE POLICE OFFICERS. THE CONCERN WITHIN MILWAUKEE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS SO SIGNIFICANT, SOME MILWAUKEE OFFICERS WERE NOT ONLY CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR OWN SAFETY, THEY DIDN’T EVEN WANT TO TAKE THIS WEAPON INSIDE THEIR OWN HOMES, AROUND THEIR OWN FAMILIES. RELIEF TONIGHT FOR THE RANK AND FILE OF MILWAUKEE POLICE IS A HUGE RELIEF FOR OUR MEMBERS TO KNOW THAT THE GUN THAT THEY’RE CARRYING AND GOING TO BE BRINGING AROUND THEIR HOME AND AROUND CITIZENS, THE PUBLIC WON’T MISFIRE WITHOUT THE TRIGGER BEING PULLED. 12 NEWS LEARNED THURSDAY, 95% OF THE DEPARTMENT’S NEARLY 1600 SWORN OFFICERS ARE NOW CARRYING GLOCK PISTOLS IN THEIR HOLSTERS. THE DEPARTMENT ON TRACK TO MEET ITS EXPECTATION TO FULLY TRANSITION AWAY FROM THE SIX HOUR P 320 THE HANDGUN TO 12 NEWS INVESTIGATES AND FIRST EXPOSED AS HAVING THE POTENTIAL OF FIRING WITHOUT THE TRIGGER BEING PULLED. IN YOUR OPINION, HOW SAFE IS THIS GUN SAFE AT ALL? ESPECIALLY LIKE HAVING A HAND GRENADE IN YOUR POCKET WITH THE PIN PULL. EVENTUALLY, IT’S GOING TO GO OFF. OUR INVESTIGATORS, ALONG WITH COURT RECORDS, IDENTIFIED SIX UNINTENDED SHOOTINGS ACROSS WISCONSIN DATING BACK TO JULY 20, 20. HALF OF THOSE WERE MILWAUKEE POLICE. P 320. AND OF THOSE TWO OFFICERS INJURED. THE MOST RECENT SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR, WE SAW THE FIRE. THE OFFICER WAS BENDING OVER TO, I BELIEVE, FINISH A SEARCH OF THE VEHICLE. HE HAD BENT OVER TO LOOK UNDER SOME SEATS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN HIS PARTNER’S SQUAD. CAM VIDEO SHOWS THAT HE WAS JUST GOING INTO THE CAR AND THAT’S WHEN A WEAPON FIRED AND INJURED AS HIS PARTNER. BUT THE DEPARTMENT’S GUN EXPERT HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO RECREATE ANY OF THE THREE SCENARIOS TO PINPOINT A SPECIFIC PROBLEM WITH THE 320. STILL, THE CHIEF, THE MAYOR AND THE UNION AGREED TO REPLACE THEM WITH THE GLOCKS. I, I THE FIRST OFFICERS TO TRAIN WITH THE NEW GUNS. THE MOST RECENT CLASS OF RECRUITS. ALL THOSE PARTIES AGREEING TO REPLACE IT. DEREK, HOW MUCH DO THE TRANSITION COST AND WHERE DID THE FUNDING COME FROM? WELL, IT CAME FROM A FEDERAL FORFEITURE ACCOUNT. JOYCE AT A COST OF $450,000. NOW, ONCE THE TRANSITION IS COMPLETE, THE UNION PLANS TO DROP ITS LAWSUIT AGAINST THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE. MEANWHILE, TWO MILWAUKEE OFFICERS ARE PLAINTIFFS IN A SEPARATE FEDERAL LAWSUIT AGAINST THE GUN MAKER SIG SAUER. JOYCE AND TH
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MPD transition from Sig Sauer P320s to new Glock service weapon nearly complete

"it's a huge relief for our members to know the gun they're carrying and going to be bringing around their home and around citizens and the public won't misfire without the trigger being pulled," the police association president said.

Ninety-five percent of Milwaukee Police officers are now carrying a Glock pistol as their new service weapon, signaling the near completion of the department's transition away from the Sig Sauer P320, a gun suspected of firing on its own.According to police officials, 83 of the department's 1,572 sworn officers still have yet to complete the training to carry the new weapon.The switch is the result of a lawsuit the union filed on behalf of an officer injured when his partner's P320 fired while they were putting a man into the back of a squad car in July 2020. In October 2021, 12 News investigates exposed the internal concern Milwaukee Police officials shared about the propensity for the P320 to fire without a trigger pull. The 2020 shooting was the first of six unintended shootings involving law enforcement officers across Wisconsin, according to a 12 News investigation and public court records. Of those, three involved Milwaukee Police officers; two of whom were injured. The most recent Milwaukee Police incident was in September 2022."We saw the the officer was bending over to finished a search of a vehicle," Milwaukee Police Association President Andrew Wagner said Thursday. "He had bent over to look under some seats or something and his partner's squad cam video shows that, you know, he's just going into the car and that's when his weapon fired and injured his partner.Wagner said that officer was still recovering. He also said the officer injured in the 2020 incident was back to full duty. During testing, the department's armorer, or gun expert, could not recreate any of the three scenarios to cause the guns in each incident to fire without a trigger pull. That led department brass to refer to the incidents as "unexplained discharges".After the most recent unexplained discharge for the department, the union filed a lawsuit against the City of Milwaukee in an effort to force city leadership to replace the guns many officers saw as defective and dangerous.Some officers expressed concerns for their own safety as well as the safety of their families and the public. Late last year, Wagner announced an agreement the union reached with Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Chief Jeffrey Norman to swap out the P320's and replace them with Glock pistols.The new guns cost about $450,000, city officials said. The Common Council approved the expenditure from the Federal Forfeiture Revenue Contribution Account.Department officials said the most recent academy class was the first to test the new weapons, followed by other members on the force.Wagner said officers are pleased with the new pistols."It's a huge relief for our members to know that the gun they're carrying and going to be bringing around their home and around citizens and the public won't misfire without the trigger being pulled," he said.Once the transition is complete, Wagner said the union will drop its lawsuit.There is a separate nationwide lawsuit against Sig Sauer outlining similar safety concerns for officers. The two Milwaukee officers from the department's first unexplained discharge are among 20 plaintiffs in the case.

Ninety-five percent of Milwaukee Police officers are now carrying a Glock pistol as their new service weapon, signaling the near completion of the department's transition away from the Sig Sauer P320, a gun suspected of firing on its own.

According to police officials, 83 of the department's 1,572 sworn officers still have yet to complete the training to carry the new weapon.

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The switch is the result of a lawsuit the union filed on behalf of an officer injured when his partner's P320 fired while they were putting a man into the back of a squad car in July 2020.

In October 2021, 12 News investigates exposed the internal concern Milwaukee Police officials shared about the propensity for the P320 to fire without a trigger pull.

The 2020 shooting was the first of six unintended shootings involving law enforcement officers across Wisconsin, according to a 12 News investigation and public court records. Of those, three involved Milwaukee Police officers; two of whom were injured. The most recent Milwaukee Police incident was in September 2022.

"We saw the the officer was bending over to finished a search of a vehicle," Milwaukee Police Association President Andrew Wagner said Thursday. "He had bent over to look under some seats or something and his partner's squad cam video shows that, you know, he's just going into the car and that's when his weapon fired and injured his partner.

Wagner said that officer was still recovering. He also said the officer injured in the 2020 incident was back to full duty.

During testing, the department's armorer, or gun expert, could not recreate any of the three scenarios to cause the guns in each incident to fire without a trigger pull. That led department brass to refer to the incidents as "unexplained discharges".

After the most recent unexplained discharge for the department, the union filed a lawsuit against the City of Milwaukee in an effort to force city leadership to replace the guns many officers saw as defective and dangerous.

Some officers expressed concerns for their own safety as well as the safety of their families and the public.

Late last year, Wagner announced an agreement the union reached with Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Chief Jeffrey Norman to swap out the P320's and replace them with Glock pistols.

The new guns cost about $450,000, city officials said. The Common Council approved the expenditure from the Federal Forfeiture Revenue Contribution Account.

Department officials said the most recent academy class was the first to test the new weapons, followed by other members on the force.

Wagner said officers are pleased with the new pistols.

"It's a huge relief for our members to know that the gun they're carrying and going to be bringing around their home and around citizens and the public won't misfire without the trigger being pulled," he said.

Once the transition is complete, Wagner said the union will drop its lawsuit.

There is a separate nationwide lawsuit against Sig Sauer outlining similar safety concerns for officers. The two Milwaukee officers from the department's first unexplained discharge are among 20 plaintiffs in the case.