HIGH POINT, N.C. — The same gun used by more than 1,500 troopers with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol is facing criticism for unintentionally firing without anyone pulling the trigger. A growing number of law enforcement officers and others have sued Sig Sauer over the manufacturer’s P320.
NC officer says holstered gun “unexpectedly discharged”
Longtime High Point Police Department officer Vincent Panico is one of three in North Carolina who are part of a new mass legal action against the company.
“This is a man with decades of weapons experience. He respects guns and he treats them safely and with respect,” the former combat Marine’s attorney Robert Zimmerman told WCNC Charlotte. “The gun that was supposed to protect him and protect the community is what injured him when his hand wasn’t even on it.”
Panico’s lawsuit says the officer’s “holstered P320 suddenly and unexpectedly discharged” on April 24, 2023. The officer, who retired in March 2025, suffered “substantial injury” after the bullet struck him in his right thigh, the lawsuit states…