A person has been arrested in connection to the death of a Security Forces airman after a firearm discharge at F.E. Warren Air Force Base last month that led to service-wide scrutiny of the Sig Sauer M18 handgun.
Airman Brayden Lovan, 21, was killed on July 20 at the Wyoming base while on duty. Air Force Global Strike Command issued an immediate pause and subsequent investigation of the use of 9mm Sig Sauer M18 handguns, and the service as a whole directed a service-wide supplemental inspection of the pistol. The probe into the incident led to Friday’s announcement.
“Since then, the investigation has progressed and an individual has now been arrested on suspicion of making a false official statement, obstruction of justice, and involuntary manslaughter,” an Air Force spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “As with all individuals accused of a crime, the person arrested in this case is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”
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The news marks a major development in the ongoing investigation into the circumstances behind Lovan’s death and the scrutiny of Sig Sauer’s P320 handgun, including its M17 and M18 military variants, amid yearslong allegations and lawsuits tied to reported accidental discharges of the firearms.
Air Force officials did not immediately provide the name of the person who had been arrested or release a charge sheet on Friday that would include more detail about the accusations.
Air Force Global Strike Command’s pause and probe of the M18 is ongoing. Additionally, the Air Force’s service-wide inspection continues, a spokesperson told Military.com.
An attorney with Philadelphia-based law firm Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky who had been hired by Lovan’s family told Military.com in an emailed statement that the Air Force is still seeking answers.
“We have understood for weeks that the Air Force is continuing to investigate this incident, including performing analysis on the weapon at issue,” Attorney Robert Zimmerman said on Friday. “We look forward to a full review of the investigative file when it is ready.”
Sig Sauer did not immediately provide a statement related to the development. The gunmaker, in a news release late last month, defended the safety of its P320 series handguns.
“The P320 pistol is one of the safest, most advanced pistols in the world — meeting and exceeding all industry safety standards. Its design has been thoroughly tested and validated by the U.S. military and law enforcement agencies at the federal, state and local levels,” Sig Sauer said in a July 29 post on its website.
Related: Air Force Conducting Service-Wide Inspections of Sig Sauer M18 Pistol After Airman’s Death
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