Q&A: McClain County Deputy Details Cause Of Blanchard SRO's Gun Discharge At Elementary School

Days after a Blanchard school resource officer's gun went off on the playground, the McClain County Sheriff’s Office said it found an issue with part of the officer's equipment. On Tuesday, McClain County Sheriff Deputy Scott Gibbons demonstrated the SRO's interaction with the Blanchard Elementary Students. 

Related Coverage: New Details Released Following Deputy’s Gun Discharge At Elementary Playground

Q: What happened on that Friday afternoon? 

A: “He heard a pop. Distinctly smelt gunpowder,” Gibbons said. “He knew something had happened. There was a bullet hole in the bench that he had just been seated on,” Gibbons said. 

Q: What did the sheriff’s office learn with the early investigation? 

A: “There was a distinct gap - they were able to determine - between the holster and the weapon,” Gibbons said. 

The McClain County Sheriff’s Office's early investigation found no equipment malfunctions with the officer’s holster or the SIG P320 pistol. However, they found that a student could have touched the trigger. 

“It appears the trigger was manipulated,” Gibbons said. 

SIG P320's history of problems  

A simple Google search of SIG P320 returns the results of a series of news articles focusing on lawsuits against firearm manufacturer SIG Sauer. According to CBS News, two juries in Georgia and Pennsylvania awarded lawsuit settlements for injuries from this firearm totaling more than $13 million. 

“The Trace” - an independent publication that covers national gun violence - reports the handgun is tied to more than 100 accidental shooting injuries. Their reporting in Pennsylvania highlighted a 41-year-old man who died from an unintentional firing of a P320 pistol. 

Q: Was your agency aware of these issues with this firearm? 

A: “We were made aware of [the lawsuits] after this incident,” Gibbons said. “I don’t believe that anybody had any preexisting knowledge of that.” 

Q: What is your agency's policy for purchasing firearms? 

A: Due to budget restrictions, Gibbons said their deputies buy their own service weapons. He said that policy is common for smaller departments. He said they inspect those weapons and officers go through routine training. 

“The weapons and the person that’s operating them, go through a process to make sure that they're both proficient,” Gibbons said. 

Q: How will you evaluate service equipment moving forward? 

“We are looking at that collectively,” Gibbons said. “We appreciate the patience of the community in letting us figure out the ‘why’ in this. 

“We encourage other law enforcement officers to check their fit and function. [This is] a freak accident that we wanna make sure doesn’t happen again.” 

Q: What’s next? 

A: Gibbons said they will check every deputy’s service weapons and holsters. He said there will be more discussions about potential changes in the coming months. 

News 9 contacted the gun manufacturer for this story but did not hear back by the Tuesday 10 p.m. news deadline. Gibbons said the resource SRO involved in this incident will be back on the job at the school in the coming days.