Shooting Incident Reconstruction, Second Edition

Title page\n......Page 4
Copyright Page......Page 5
Contents......Page 8
Introduction......Page 12
Introduction to First Edition......Page 16
Why this book?......Page 20
Basic skills and approach to casework......Page 21
General philosophy......Page 24
The scientific method......Page 25
Summary and Concluding Comments......Page 29
Introduction......Page 32
The team......Page 33
At the scene......Page 34
New techniques in shooting scene investigations......Page 46
Summary and concluding comments......Page 50
Bullet design and construction......Page 54
Class characteristics and fired cartridge casings......Page 57
Class characteristics and fired bullets......Page 60
Revolvers and the limited universe......Page 66
The worth of weight......Page 67
Summary and concluding comments......Page 72
The question of holes......Page 74
Bullet holes in typical materials......Page 81
Summary and concluding comments......Page 84
Testing for copper, lead, and nickel......Page 86
The dithiooxamide test for copper residues......Page 89
The sodium rhodizonate test for lead residues......Page 94
Direct-application methods for testing......Page 96
“Lifting,” or transfer, methods for testing......Page 98
The dimethylglyoxime test for nickel residues......Page 100
Summary and concluding comments......Page 103
Introduction......Page 106
Interpretation and reporting of results......Page 112
GSR and revolvers......Page 114
The modified griess test for nitrite residues......Page 116
Primer residues......Page 119
Summary and concluding comments......Page 121
Introduction......Page 124
Sheetrock/wallboard......Page 125
Wood......Page 129
Sheet metal......Page 131
Rubber and elastics......Page 137
Summary and concluding comments......Page 142
Evidence of glass impact on bullets......Page 144
Types of glass......Page 148
Summary and concluding comments......Page 160
Introduction......Page 162
Definitions......Page 163
Examining ricocheted bullets......Page 165
Projectile impacts......Page 170
The post-impact flight of ricocheted and deflected bullets......Page 183
Wounds from ricocheted and deflected bullets......Page 184
Perforating projectiles and perforated objects......Page 187
Summary and concluding comments......Page 191
Bullet hole location and angular components of a projectile’s path......Page 194
Measurement procedures......Page 196
Nonperforating bullet paths......Page 202
Lasers’ use, advantages, and limitations......Page 204
Thoughts about reconstructed angles......Page 205
Trajectory reconstruction techniques, tools, and supplies......Page 206
Summary and concluding comments......Page 207
Introduction......Page 210
Entry and Reentry Wounds......Page 212
Gunshot Wound Projectile Path Determination......Page 214
Blood Spatter and Gunshot Wounds......Page 216
Survivors of Gunshot Wounds......Page 218
Projectile Deformation in Bodies......Page 220
Summary and concluding comments......Page 223
Introduction......Page 226
Locard’s Principle Revisited: Trace Evidence Transfer and Deposit Examples......Page 227
Trace Evidence Sequence of Events: Three Case Examples......Page 231
Summary and concluding comments......Page 235
Introduction......Page 238
Basics of Exterior Ballistics and Their Forensic Application......Page 239
Case Situations: An Overview......Page 244
Maximum-Range Trajectories......Page 248
Potential Procedure for Long-Distance Shooting Reconstruction......Page 257
Summary and concluding comments......Page 262
Introduction......Page 264
Scene Work—Terrain/Substrate Considerations......Page 265
Review of Marks on Fired Cartridge Casings......Page 267
Laboratory Examination of Ejected Cartridge Cases......Page 271
Summary and concluding comments......Page 281
Introduction......Page 284
Vehicles At a Scene......Page 285
Projectile Strikes......Page 289
Summary and concluding comments......Page 294
Introduction......Page 296
Shotgun Design and Nomenclature......Page 298
Choke and Patterning......Page 301
Shot Charges and Dram Equivalents......Page 302
Wads and Shotcups......Page 303
Powder, Gunshot Residues, and Buffer Material......Page 306
The Exterior Ballistics of Shotgun Pellets......Page 307
Summary and concluding comments......Page 311
The Nature of Gunshots and Their Measurements......Page 314
Human Experience and Weighted Scales In Sound Level Meters......Page 315
Multiple Firearms of the Same Make and Model......Page 326
Velocity and Muzzle Pressure Versus Peak dB......Page 331
Supersonic Bullets......Page 341
A Frame of Reference for Judges and Jurors......Page 344
Summary and concluding comments......Page 347
Explaining What Reconstructionists Do......Page 350
Legal Challenges and Reconstructists’ Role In Litigation......Page 351
Reports and Report Writing......Page 355
A Test for the Reader......Page 356
Suggested General Outline for Reports......Page 363
Concluding Comments about the Book......Page 369
Shooting Incident Evaluation and Reconstruction: Documents Sought or Requested......Page 372
Materials Checklist for Shooting Scene Examination......Page 373
Vehicle Data, Measurements, and Behavior with Occupants and/or Movement......Page 374
Logsheet for Projectile Strikes to Vehicles......Page 375
Officer-Involved Shootings (OISS)......Page 378
Shooting Reconstruction Checklist......Page 379
Suggested Guidelines for Reconstruction and Reenactment of Shooting Incidents......Page 383
Some Cyclic Rates of Fire for Recoil-Operated Semiautomatic Pistols Measured with a Pact IV Timer......Page 392
Conversion and Computational Factors......Page 394
Table of Common Bullet Weights......Page 395
Digital Photography of Laser Paths......Page 397
Some Bullet Core and Jacket Weights......Page 399
General Foundational Questions For......Page 400
Determination of issues in Question......Page 402
Investigation and Analysis of Burst Firearms: High-Pressure Event/Metallurgical Failure/Bore Obstruction......Page 404
Glossary......Page 406
Index......Page 428