Ceres Police have confirmed that the gun which resulted in the accidental shooting of a School Resource Officer at Blaker-Kinser Junior High School was a Sig Sauer P320 which has been known to malfunction in other states.
The department released surveillance video from the school which shows Officer Salin Chrim in the parking lot when the gun went off at 12:50 p.m. on Tuesday, June 24. She sustained a leg wound which was treated at a local hospital.
The video shows Chrim standing by her patrol SUV and lowering a bag to the ground when her holstered gun goes off. A bystander in the frame is seen reacting to the gunshot blast.
At the time of the incident, summer school had concluded for the day and only a limited number of students and staff were on campus.
Ceres Police Chief Trenton Johnson said his department issues Glock .40-caliber handguns to officers but they have a choice to carry their own preferred weapon as long as it is made by a major manufacturer, that it meets police department specifications and has been inspected and approved by the department range master.
A department press released noted that “the firearm and holster were compatible and compliant with current Ceres Police Department policy. The discharge is being investigated as an uncommanded discharge, as the firearm was securely holstered and not being manipulated by Officer Chrim at the time of its discharge.
“In accordance with department procedures, the firearm and holster will be submitted to the California Department of Justice for full inspection and evaluation to determine the cause of the discharge and ensure the continued safety of our officers and community.”
The Sig Sauer Model P320 is suspected of randomly firing while holstered. Sig Sauer has faced lawsuits from at least 15 plaintiffs, and new evidence has surfaced linking the firearm to at least one death and 20 additional injuries, The Trace reported in December.
On June 20, 2024 an Atlanta federal court jury found Sig Sauer liable for the shooting of Robert Lang of Roswell, Georgia. The jury concluded not only that SIG Sauer defectively designed the P320, but also that the company had failed to provide adequate warnings to consumers about the risk of unintended shootings. The jury also awarded Lang $2.35 million in damages.
SIG Sauer has maintained that the incidents were the result of unsafe handling and that the P320 is safe to use.
Since at least 2017, several law enforcement agencies, including those in Milwaukee, Dallas and Philadelphia, Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin, have pulled the P320 from their arsenals due to concerns over an accidental discharge.
