Lewiston council approves purchase of 94 Walther pistols after safety concerns about SIG P320s

The Lewiston City Council voted unanimously (7–0) to authorize the use of asset forfeiture funds to purchase 94 Walther PDP pistols to replace the department’s SIG Sauer P320 pistols.

Interim Police Chief Higgins told the council the department had reviewed national reports indicating the SIG P320 series “has been accidentally discharging or discharging easily, without pulling the trigger,” and the department wants to replace its pistols “as soon as possible” to maintain officer and public safety. The council approved the order to use asset forfeiture funds to buy the Walther pistols and to dispose of the existing SIGs.

Council discussion covered three practical and budgetary points: the safety risk posed by the P320s, the likely trade-in or resale value of the existing pistols, and legal exposure. Chief Higgins and Detective Nick Wiers, the department’s firearms instructor, described the national litigation and the absence of an industry-wide buyback or refund program. Higgins said the department faces a choice: hold the weapons and hope for a future manufacturer reimbursement tied to litigation or sell them now (the department has a trade-in offer of approximately $200 per pistol, about $18,000 total).

Councilor Herrmann asked whether the manufacturer was offering refunds; Higgins said Sig Sauer was not offering refunds and the company was contesting the allegations. Councilor Grant asked the city attorney about liability; the councilor said the city attorney had advised that selling the pistols to a federal firearms licensee would not create municipal liability in the event of later incidents. Councilors also discussed storage and armorer training; Detective Wiers said the department’s armorers would be trained by the vendor at no cost.

Members of the public spoke during the item. A number of speakers supported replacing the pistols quickly rather than gambling on future litigation outcomes; one commenter wrote that some ranges were already limiting or banning the P320s for safety reasons.

Vote and next steps: The motion to authorize the asset forfeiture expenditure and to dispose of the SIG P320s passed 7–0. The police department will complete procurement paperwork, accept the trade-in offer to a federal firearms licensee or otherwise dispose of the SIGs according to federal and state law, and bring back a record of the sale or storage decisions.

Why it matters: The vote commits city asset-forfeiture funds to a weapons replacement driven by safety concerns and national litigation over a widely used police sidearm. The choice balances immediate risk-reduction with uncertainty about potential future reimbursements.