Shooting Incident Reconstruction

Shooting Incident Reconstruction is based on the authors' numerous years of conducting courses and seminars on the subject of shooting incident reconstruction. It seeks to thoroughly address matters from simple to complex in order to provide the reader with an explanation of the factors surrounding ballistics, trajectory, and shooting scenes.

The ultimate objectives of this unique book are to assist investigators, crime scene analysts, pathologists, ballistics experts, and lawyers to understand the terminology, science, and factors involved in reconstructing shooting incident events to solve forensic cases.

The book covers a full range of related topics, including the range from which a firearm was discharged; the sequence of shots in a multiple discharge shooting incident; the position of a firearm at the moment of discharge; the position of a victim at the moment of impact; the probable flight path of a projectile; the manner by which a firearm was discharged, and much more. It contains over 100 diagrams and photographs, many in full-color, that support and illustrate key concepts.

• Written by one of the most well-respected shooting scene and ballistics experts in the world
• Contains over 100 diagrams and photographs, many in full-color, that support and illustrate key concepts
• Case studies illustrate real-world application of technical concepts

The audience would include practicing forensic scientists (firearm and toolmark examiners), ballistics experts, crime scene personnel, police departments, forensic consultants, attorneys and judges, Medical Examiners (coroners), and forensic pathologists.

1. INTRODUCTION
2. THE RECONSTRUCTIVE ASPECTS of CLASS CHARACTERISTICS and a LIMITED UNIVERSE
3. IS IT A BULLET HOLE?
4. SOME USEFUL REAGENTS and THEIR APPLICATION
5. GUNSHOT RESIDUES and PROXIMITY TESTS
6. PROJECTILE PENETRATION and PERFORATION
7. PROJECTILE RICOCHET
8. THE PRINCIPLES of “TRAJECTORY” RECONSTRUCTION
9. THE SHOOTING OF MOTOR VEHICLES
10. TRAJECTORIES in HUMAN BODIES
11. TRACE EVIDENCE CONSIDERATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH FIREARMS EVIDENCE: EVIDENTIARY and RECONSTRUCTIVE SPECTS
12. CARTRIDGE CASE EJECTION and EJECTION PATTERNS
13. TRUE BALLISTICS: LONG DISTANCE SHOOTINGS and FALLING BULLETS
14. SHOTGUN SHOOTINGS and EVIDENCE
15. ULTIMATE OBJECTIVES, REPORTS and COURT PRESENTATION APPENDIX