A New Hampshire gunmaker has responded to a lawsuit from a sheriff’s deputy in central Maine.
SIG Sauer denied allegations that one of its weapons is prone to misfiring in a nearly 40-page response filed in court.
Earlier this year, Somerset County sheriff’s Deputy David Cole sued SIG Sauer after his pistol went off in its holster, shooting him in the leg.
The alleged misfire happened last year when attorneys said Cole was about to serve a warrant with several other officers.
They said Cole was walking into the building when his gun, which he wasn’t touching and was still in its holster, went off.
Attorneys said all the deputies dropped to the ground, thinking they were under fire, then quickly realized Cole was shot by his own gun.
The bullet entered and exited his thigh, breaking his leg, and then entered his calf and became lodged in his ankle.
The Press Herald reported that SIG Sauer rejects claims the weapon was defective, unsafe or lacked safety mechanisms found in other guns. The manufacturer said the weapon meets industry standards.
More than 100 other officers are part of the lawsuit against SIG Sauer, saying they had the same gun, a P320, go off unintentionally.
Cole is the son of late Somerset County sheriff’s Deputy Cpl. Eugene Cole, who was shot to death while on duty in April 2018. John D. Williams was convicted of his murder and sentenced to life in prison in 2019.