Shooting Incident Reconstruction

Shooting Incident Reconstruction, Third Edition, offers a thorough explanation of matters from simple to complex to help the reader understand the factors surrounding ballistics, trajectory, and shooting scenes. Forensic scientists, law enforcement, and crime scene investigators are often tasked with reconstruction of events based on crime scene evidence, along with the subsequent analysis of that evidence. The use and misuse of firearms to perpetrate crimes from theft to murder necessitates numerous invitations to reconstruct shooting incidents. The discharge of firearms and the behavior of projectiles create many forms of physical evidence that, through proper testing and interpretation by a skilled forensic scientist, can establish what did and what did not occur. Written by the world's most well-respected shooting scene and ballistics experts, the book addresses the terminology, science, and factors involved in reconstructing shooting incident events to solve forensic cases. It covers the 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; and the position of a victim at the moment of impact. The probable flight path of a projectile and the manner in which a firearm was discharged are also discussed. Case studies illustrate real-world application of technical concepts, supported by over 200 full-color diagrams and photographs. This book will be of value to practicing forensic scientists (firearm and toolmark examiners), ballistics experts, crime scene personnel, police departments, forensic consultants (generalists), attorneys and judges, medical examiners (coroners), and forensic pathologists. - New chapters on special reconstructive properties and value of shootings involving sub-machine guns or pseudo automatic firearms, rate of fire with special attention on shot-to-shot time intervals, human factors in shooting incidents - Updated and revised glossary terms to fit with new technology and the emergence of standardization of terms by groups such as the Organization of Scientific Advisory Committees - Provides clear practice standards and ethical guidelines for those involved in reconstructing shooting scenes

Michael Haag is the Technical Leader in the Firearm & Tool Mark Unit, in the Scientific Evidence Division for the Albuquerque, New Mexico Police Department. Mr. Haag has held this position for over 20 years. In addition, he is also a member of the Albuquerque Police Department Major Crime Scene Team and a Blood Alcohol Analyst. Mr. Haag is a Distinguished Member of the Association of Firearm and Toolmark Examiners (AFTE), is the Editor of AFTE News, Assistant Editor of the AFTE; and a member of the American Academy of Forensic Science (AAFS), the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENSFI), the Southwest Association of Forensic Scientists (SWAFS) and the Association for Crime Scene Reconstruction (ACSR). Mr. Haag also conducts regular training, seminars and workshops around the world for the AFTE, FBI, IAI, AAFS and ASCLAD, to name a few. Mr. Haag was co-author with his father on the highly successful second edition of Shooting Incident Reconstruction, which published in 2011.