Forensic Ballistics Expert Witness

Expert Witness No. 1927

Arizona

SUMMARY

Expert Witness 1927 is a Retired Commanding Officer of Mass. State Police Ballistics Section; supervised two labs and seven forensic ballisticians with 1200 to 1700 cases annually providing services for 350 cities or towns, local U.S. Military services, and State and Federal agencies except FBI. Since 1979 has been involved in both the forensic, criminal, and civil aspects of shooting incidents including reconstruction, microscopy toolmarks, gunshot distance determination, defective design, firearms hunter safety protocols, trajectory, etc. Trained with the late Dr. George Katsas and other pathologists in gunshot wounds and wound ballistics and has lectured at colleges,medical symposiums, and legal conferences on gunshot wound evidence. Provided services to the military for incidents in Iraq and Afghanistan, Texaco Chevron in Nigeria for the Parabe Platform, Opia Village and Ikenyan Village shootings, a private client in Canada, the Downstate Illinois Innocence Project, and clients in approximately 20 states. Specialize in and have investigated numerous cases of police use of deadly or excessive force including SWAT Team incidents, wrongful deaths or injuries resulting from negligent or inadequate Policy and Procedure and or Training, Review of cases to ensure conclusions and opinions of experts comply with the practices and procedures which are recognized to be consistent with a high level of professional ethics and not drawn from data which itself is inaccurate or atypical; or where merely for the sake of bolstering their conclusions utilize unwarranted or superfluous tests in an attempt to give apparent greater weight to the results or reach a target conclusion. As member of the MSP Ballistics Section, testified approximately 250 times in the New England area, and in several other states over the last few years and have provided some limited commentary to the news media as well as featured on a Phoenix news channel and in a Phoenix magazine. Commanded the 65 man State Police Revere Barracks responsible for police operations in 6 cities and towns; member of the Staff Inspection Unit conducting internal investigations Troop Shift Commander for 6 barracks; GHQ Operations; and other assignments. U.S. Army military service in firearms, ordnance, ammunition and ballistics; served in Europe researching the design and development of Eastern Bloc weapons ammunition. Member of the Association of Firearms and Toolmark Examiners(AFTE) and International Association for Identification(IAI).

FORMAL ACADEMICS

1991 - Master of Science in Advanced Management Cum Laude, Lesley College.

1980 - Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Cum Laude, Anna Maria College,

1979 - B.S. Law Enforcement Cum Laude, Northeastern University.

Criminology Graduate Study, American International College.

Business Administration Graduate Study, Salem State College.

Accounting & Finance, Bentley College.

EXPERT TESTIMONY OR CONSULTATIONS

Consulted on various cases in approximately 20 states, the Downstate Illinois Innocence Project, Afghanistan, Canada, Nigeria, Iraq. Not all cases resulted in retainment. Qualified and testified as expert witness in firearms, ballistics, gunshot wounds, 250+ times. Testified before Mass. Legislature, military courts martial, and provided advice to various legislators.

EXPERTISE

Shootings including hunting, fatal/non-fatal, malicious destruction, trajectory, reconstruction, powder pattern tests and gunshot distance determination, malfunctions, defective design, toolmarks (cartridge cases, projectiles, tools, etc), involuntary and accidental and crime scenes. Police Shootings, Use of Force, Policy and Procedure, Training: Police use of deadly and or excessive force including SWAT Team incidents, wrongful deaths or injuries resulting from negligent and/or inadequate Policy & Procedure and Training.

GUNSHOT WOUNDS

Specialized Firearms Training. Certified as an Armorer and/or received training in the manufacturing, design, function, and testing with firearms manufacturers. Beretta Browning Colt Dan Wesson Glock Ithaca Marlin Mossberg Remington Sig-Sauer Saco/Maremont Savage Arms Sturm-Ruger Smith & Wesson Thompson Center Arms Winchester

U.S. ARMY

US Army Ordnance School, Ft. Dix, NJ 1964

US Army Small Arms Repair School, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD,

1964 Aberdeen Proving Ground: ammunition, chamber and pressure testing 2 ½ years with 40th Ordnance Co. researching

development of Eastern Bloc weapons. Company armorer .50 Cal MG, .45 ACP, M14 Rifle, and M1A1 Crew chief of .50 caliber

M2 Browning tripod and vehicle mounted machine gun.

BALLISTICS & WEAPONS TRAINING and EXPERIENCE

1973 –PRESENT US Army Natick Research Lab US Army Watertown Arsenal Ft. Devens Weapons Center Association of Firearms and Toolmark Examiners

IHMSA MSP Academy Camp Curtis Guild Bureau ATF MA Criminal Justice Training Council

WORK EXPERIENCE

Competed professionally in national competitions using numerous firearms and ammunition based on extensive personal testing, reloading, and firearms modifications. Tested various powders, projectile designs and weights using chronographs and strain gauges.

MA STATE POLICE 1973 -1998 1973 – 1979

Field Operations: Criminal/Traffic Investigations, Logan Airport Delta crash, Boston Busing enforcement, State Prisons,Senior Trooper on 6-Officer Selective Enforcement “55 Team”; Presidential security, Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant, sporting events, crisis response, major traffic incidents, local police assistance, Executive Security, and special assignments.

1979 – 1992

Ballistics Section: Commanding Officer of two labs, trained 5 additional firearms experts. Conducted forensic investigations statewide and out-of-state. Lab averaged 1500-2000 cases annually for fatal, non-fatal, accidental, defective design, malfunctions, voluntary/involuntary, toolmarks, gunshot distance determination, trajectory, crime scenes, shooting reconstruction, firearms safety, ballistics, police procedures.

Shift Commander: General Headquarters Operations Section. Statewide troop operations, 911 system, dispatch operations,special investigations.

Shift Commander: Troop “H”. Supervised 4 barracks covering metropolitan Boston area, use of force and shooting investigations. Special advisor on the Consolidation of Police Forces. Training Coordinator for new Officers.

Shift Commander: Troop “A”. Supervised 6 barracks operations responsible for the northeast quadrant of the state, Supervised or conducted criminal, personnel, use of force and shooting investigations. Training Coordinator for new Officers.

1995 – 1997

Station Commander Revere Barracks: Similar to Chief of local police department. jurisdiction for 6 cities/towns on state/federal roads, parks, waterways, beaches, state properties and special events; two motor vehicle licensing stations 65 officers.

1997-1998

Staff Inspector: Statewide inspections/audits for compliance with Policy/Procedure, Rules & Regulations. Conducted investigations involving ethics, misconduct, use of force, shooting investigations, audits of drugs, cash, evidence, contraband, and special investigations for Colonel.

1967-1973

Jet engine fabrication assembly and inspection, General Electric, Lynn, MA Accountant & estimator (on-site) for Raisler-Lappin Corp at the NEMNB 37-story office building, Boston. Senior accountant at O.C. Moyer & Co, CPA’s, Boston, MA. Senior auditor and accountant at B&L Management, a capital venture, investment, and manager of land development and nursing homes, Somerville, MA. AFFILIATIONS International Association for Identification (IAI) Association of Firearms and Toolmark Examiners (AFTE) NRA – Life Member Sigma Epsilon Rho Honor Society

KEYWORDS

firearms expert witness, forensic ballistician expert witness, microscopy expert witness, toolmarks expert witness, crime scenes expert witness, shooting investigations expert witness, ballistics expert witness, trajectory expert witness, police use of lethal force expert witness, gunshot distance determination expert witness, normal improvised test firings expert witness, toolmarks expert witness, firearms cartridge cases expert witness, gunshot wounds expert witness, trajectory expert witness, impression marks expert witness, fractures expert witness,prison made improvised firearms expert witness, tools burglarious instruments expert witness, moneybag seals expert witness, parking meter seals expert witness, gunshot distance determination tests expert witness, pattern tests expert witness; disassembled literally thousands of firearms in accordance with court ordered destruction orders expert witness; special weapons testing training with MA stop team including airborne firing expert witness; unusual complex evidence including prison made firearms expert witness, altered and modified firearms expert witness; rifles expert witness, handguns expert witness, shotguns expert witness, single shot expert witness, semi-automatic expert witness, full automatic expert witness; extensive background in military armaments expert witness; fatal expert witness, non-fatal shootings, voluntary, involuntary, accidental, neglect, malicious destruction expert witness, drive by shootings expert witness, police officer involved shootings expert witness, suicide expert witness, homicide expert witness, certified as an armorer expert witness; special training in the manufacturing process expert witness, swat expert witness