Fatal Shooting During Police Pursuit Requires Ballistics Investigation

Case Overview

Questions to the Accident Reconstruction expert and their responses

Please describe your background in ballistics as it relates to this case.

Consulting on civil and criminal cases concerning issues related to firearms, ballistics, and shooting incident reconstruction is my full-time occupation. I have investigated thousands of shooting incidents as a law enforcement investigator and have provided analysis in hundreds of shooting cases as a private consultant. The specific issue of the ability of a bullet to 'spin' a person around is well within the scope of my expertise.

How would you determine the veracity of the police officer's claims?

What is typically done is a review of the autopsy or medical records (depending on the outcome of the plaintiff) to determine the timeline and location of the two shots fired.

About the expert

This highly qualified expert received his BS in Mechanical Engineering and his MS in Forensic Science from the University of North Florida. He is a board-certified crime scene reconstructionist who is an expert in firearms, ballistics, and shooting incident reconstruction. He previously served as a police officer and detective in Jacksonville, Florida, for over fifteen years and was a crime scene investigator for nearly half of that time. He has attended hundreds of hours of professional training related to crime scene investigations, analysis, and reconstruction and has published several peer-reviewed technical papers related to the reconstruction of shooting incidents. He currently owns a forensic consulting firm in FL.