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Earlier this month, a Colorado jury convicted a gun owner of illegally discharging a firearm and misdemeanor assault after a Sig Sauer P320 pistol discharged and struck a teenager in the face during a confrontation outside the homeowner’s property.
But jurors stopped short of finding Brent Metz guilty of the more serious charges prosecutors sought, acquitting him on two counts of menacing and reducing the assault charge from second-degree assault to third-degree assault.
According to CBS Colorado, the jury deliberated for roughly 5½ hours before reaching its verdict.
The case stems from a September 2024 incident in Jefferson County that quickly became as much a debate over firearm safety as it was about criminal responsibility.
According to reporting by Courthouse News Service, then-17-year-old Jack Howard and his friend Luke were driving around looking for a scenic location for homecoming photos when they spotted a lake near Metz’s property. The teens planned to ask permission to return later and were heading back to their vehicle when a woman reported them to 911 and alerted Metz, who was serving on the Mountain View Town Council at the time.
What happened next was the central dispute at trial.
Prosecutors argued Metz knowingly approached the teens with a loaded firearm and pointed it at them. Luke testified that he saw Metz point the gun at Howard before it fired. Prosecutors also noted Metz knew the pistol was loaded, had a round chambered, and lacked a manual safety.
Metz told a very different story.
According to his defense team, he never intended to point the firearm at either teenager. Instead, they argued he was transferring his Sig Sauer P320 from a truck-mounted holster to a belt holster when he lost his footing and the pistol discharged unintentionally.
All parties agreed on one key fact: the pistol fired within seconds of Metz arriving at the scene, and the bullet struck Howard through the windshield of his Audi. Howard survived but suffered serious facial injuries. Courthouse News Service reported a civil lawsuit filed by the family claims roughly $100,000 in medical expenses.
The Sig Sauer P320 became a major focus of the trial.
Defense attorney Christopher Decker argued the pistol’s design played a role in the shooting, citing ongoing litigation involving alleged uncommanded discharges. Defense firearms expert Edward Wilks described the P320 as “a trainwreck” and testified that he believed the design presented safety concerns.
Prosecutors countered with testimony from engineer Derek Watkins, who examined Metz’s specific firearm and concluded it contained no defect that would cause it to fire without a trigger pull.
The mixed verdict suggests jurors may have landed somewhere between the two competing narratives.
CBS Colorado reported defense attorneys viewed the reduction from second-degree assault to third-degree assault as significant because it points toward negligence rather than an intentional act.
“It’s a far different thing than knowingly or purposefully discharging the firearm,” one defense attorney told the station after the verdict.
The conviction still carries serious consequences.
Metz faces one to three years for the felony illegal discharge conviction and up to one year in county jail for the misdemeanor assault conviction. Judge Russell Klein ordered Metz taken into custody pending sentencing, which is scheduled for later this month.
The defense has indicated it may seek a new trial or pursue an appeal.
The case is also likely to add fuel to the ongoing national debate surrounding the Sig Sauer P320. Critics point to dozens of lawsuits alleging unintended discharges, while SIG Sauer has consistently maintained the pistol is safe when handled properly and has prevailed in numerous court challenges involving the firearm.
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is a seasoned outdoorsman, lifelong hunter, and the kind of guy who’d rather track whitetails than scroll social media. As an editor for GunsAmerica, he’s got a sharp eye for spotting both solid gear and bad gun laws. Whether he’s deep in the woods or deep in editorial deadlines, Larry brings a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach to firearms, hunting, and the great American tradition of self-reliance. If there’s a hot debate on gun rights or the latest in hunting tech, you can bet Larry’s got an opinion—and it’s probably backed up with both facts and field experience.
Experience:
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– Concealed Carry Permit Holder (NYS & AZ) – Trained and licensed to carry in multiple states.
– 2A Journalist – Covering firearms legislation, Second Amendment issues, and gun rights for over a decade.
– Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) – Certified to provide emergency medical care in the field.
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