Training Information
Training Classes
Shooting incident reconstruction is the use of physical evidence to reach conclusions regarding the "how" of an incident involving firearms. Common areas of interest in shooting incident reconstruction include, but may not be limited to:
- terminal ballistics
- shot sequence
- number of shots
- trajectories
- alignment of materials struck by bullets
- trace evidence
- the limited universe
- wound ballistics
Depending on the physical evidence created in the event, or what items remain after the event, conclusions may vary in certainty from certain, probable, improbable, impossible, or unknown.
Forensic Science Consultants has been the premier provider of shooting incident reconstruction training throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. The comprehensive, live fire training courses are designed to give the participants first hand knowledge of how shooting scene evidence is created. There is no substitute for having observed the interaction of bullets and a wide variety of materials. Whether the incident is an officer involved shooting, an accidental shooting, a drug induced shooting spree, or a gang related retaliation, each firearm associated scene should be investigated with an unbiased eye, focusing on the proper interpretation of the meaning of the physical evidence. FSC's shooting incident reconstruction course emphasizes this philosophy by combining live fire demonstrations with case studies, and a methodology for creating solid, scientifically based experiments to answer questions with no immediately discernible solution.
Students leave the class with a large number of immediately employable tools to use at their next shooting scene, including:
- fundamentals of trajectory measurement (the four defining factors)
- definitions
- deflection
- the history and scientific foundation of shooting reconstruction
- chemical testing for bullet metals
- uncertainty of measurement comprehension for trajectories
- terminal ballistic interactions
- ricochet
- wound ballistics
- trace evidence
- the limited universe
- what firearms tell us as they are collected
This is NOT your ordinary class. In order to earn a certificate and complete the course, you must pass both a written and a practical test to prove your knowledge base.
Michael has examined thousands of bullets and cartridge casings, and gone to numerous shooting scenes, ranging in locations across the United States and internationally. He has worked on hundreds of cases, civil and criminal, and for both prosecution/plaintiff, and defense. Shooting Incident Reconstruction, written by both Lucien and Michael, is a main staple of crime scene investigation. It was required reading for the Association for Crime Scene Reconstruction's (ASCR) past reconstruction certification, and currently is the BATF's National Firearm Examiner's Academy (NFEA) shooting reconstruction text. It is the primary training companion to the 40 hour SIR course through FSC.