Shooting Incident Reconstruction - Hardcover

Haag, Michael G.; Haag, Lucien C.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0123822416 ISBN 13: 9780123822413

Publisher: Academic Press, 2011

Synopsis

Shooting Incident Reconstruction, Second 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.

• Written by the most well-respected shooting scene and ballistics experts in the world
• Contains over 200 full-color diagrams and photographs that support and illustrate key concepts
• Case studies illustrate real-world application of technical concepts

About this title

From the Back Cover:

SHOOTING INCIDENT RECONSTRUCTION, Second Edition Michael G. Haag and Lucien C. Haag The second edition of Shooting Incident Reconstruction is fully updated and revised to include the latest information and advancements in the field of firearms evidence analysis. This edition includes three new chapters covering gun sound levels, projectiles and glass, and working the shooting scene. The comprehensive analysis provided by Michael and Lucien Haag covers crimes ranging from accidental injuries to carefully planned murders. A team approach to investigating shooting crimes is discussed, along with improved photos of trace evidence found at a shooting scene and the activity of gunshot wounds in the human body.

The ubiquity of gun crimes is undeniable, and without the ability to accurately interpret firearms evidence, no criminal investigator or litigant can fully understand the facts of a case. As such, Shooting Incident Reconstruction is an excellent reference tool for forensic professionals, expert witnesses and students alike.

Key Features · Case studies illustrate real-world application of technical concepts · Over 300 photos, many in full-color, support and demonstrate key points · Appendix contains practical tips and valuable information for the practitioner

Michael G. Haag  is a private consultant owning his own company, Forensic Science Consultants, and Senior Forensic Scientist with the Albuquerque Police Department  supervising APD's Firearm and Tool Mark Section, Chemistry Section, and Blood/Breath Alcohol Section. He is also a member of APD's Major Crime Scene Team. He has been active in the field of forensics for about 20 years, and earned a bachelor's of science degree in chemistry with a math / physics minor.  While his primary area of expertise is shooting incident reconstruction, he is also a firearm and tool mark examiner.

Lucien C. Haag is a leading authority on shooting incident reconstruction with over 40 years of experience in the field. The first 17 years of his career were spent working for the Phoenix, Arizona Police Department, where he first served as a Criminalist, and later as Technical Director of the laboratory. Since then, he has worked as a private consultant for prosecutors, public defenders, private attorneys, educational institutions, insurance companies, law firms, firearms manufacturers, and private individuals.

Review:

"Well illustrated with diagrams and photographs, the book will give police oversight practitioners a better understanding of what crime scene investigators and criminalists can (and perhaps should) do in an officer involved shooting investigation.... The chapter on bullet track determinations in gunshot victims is an excellent primer for a layperson reviewing an autopsy report.... The chapter on shooting of vehicles will be particularly useful for agencies investigating or reviewing such incidents." --National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE) Review

Praise for the first edition: "Shooting Incident Reconstruction is an informative and comprehensive guide to the analysis of firearms at crime scenes ranging from accidental injuries to carefully planned murders . . . This book covers it all. No longer will investigators be forced to rely on eyewitness accounts alone; instead, they will be able to use the reconstructive aspects of firearms evidence to determine what did and did not happen at a crime scene." --Law Enforcement Technology "In creating this book, author Lucien C. Haag drew from years of experience in the field, first as a criminalist and later as the former technical director of Phoenix, Ariz., Police Department's forensic laboratory. Shooting Incident Reconstruction provides an explanation of the factors surrounding ballistics, trajectory, and shooting scenes for both the layman and the professional. Key concepts are supported and illustrated by more than 100 diagrams and photographs, many of which are in color. Gun enthusiasts will find much of this book of interest..." --American Rifleman

About this edition

• Publisher: Academic Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0123822416
• ISBN 13: 9780123822413
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 440