Comment: Personal Opinion -- Statement: "in a joking manner" sounds like horse play totally gone wrong. Basic rule: Never point a gun at someone unless you intend to destroy. There are no exceptions. Keep finger off the trigger. Always assume the gun is loaded until proven otherwise by totally clearing the weapon with action locked open, verified no round in chamber and magazine removed.
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/airmen-covered-up-facts-of-fatal-m18-shooting/
Matthew Cox 1 Nov 2025
Quote:
In court, according to the Air Force, Badesha and Rodriguez each testified that they “saw White-Allen pull his duty weapon from his holster and point it at Lovan’s chest in a joking manner,” the Air Force statement says. “Each stated they then heard the firearm go off and saw Lovan fallen on the ground.”
Immediately after the shooting, the Air Force statement says, White-Allen told Badesha “Here’s the story; Tell them that I slammed my duty belt on the desk, and it went off.” Rogriguez testified that White-Allen separately told him to tell emergency personnel arriving on the scene that White-Allen’s “holster went off,” according to the Air Force.
The statements initially led investigators to “believe Lovan’s death was a result of an accidental discharge,” the Air Force statement continues.
The cover story aligned with other narratives about the M18, a 9mm pistol made by Sig-Sauer and based on its P320 striker-fired weapon. Multiple lawsuits filed against Sig Sauer, mostly by law enforcement officers, have alleged that P320 pistols discharged unintentionally.
Sig-Sauer defends its design, promising that the pistol cannot “discharge without the trigger first being moved to the rear,” according to a statement on its website.
The Air Force ordered a service-wide inspection of its 125,000 M18s in August and was on schedule to complete that inspection when the government shut down, delaying any announcement of the results. Global Strike Command cleared the pistol to return to use in late August after its own inspections.
