Vehicles as Shooting Incident Crime Scenes

1. Al Capone's Bullet-Proof Gangster Car Vehicles as Shooting Incident Crime Scenes Bonnie & Clyde Car http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/22336 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bonnie_Clyde_Car.jpg Bonny and Clyde’s car, riddled with bullet holes after the ambush. Picture taken by FBI investigators on May 23, 1934.

2. Vehicles - Introduction • Vehicles … indispensible and integral and critical part of our modern society. Also involved in crime types ranging from hit-and-runs, kidnappings, homicides, sexual assaults, shootings, etc. • Makes sense to concentrate on vehicles involved in shooting incidents. • The reason is that shooting incidents are associated with most crime types and vehicles are often involved. • Firearms evidence, biological evidence, trace evidence, fingerprints, footwear and tire track impression evidence. All the investigative parameters are appropriate: archived, searched, and managed. • The specifics of ricochet, deflection, and angular components of the bullet path that were discussed – everything applies. • Vehicle involved shootings are extremely complicated. • Vehicles are scenes unto themselves, much like the body at a homicide scene. • Several analytical issues must be considered and evaluated carefully before a definitive statement about what happened can be rendered. • Requires the rigid application of the scientific method, and unless this is done, the final interpretation of the events that took place will likely be erroneous.

3. Data Needed • Positioning seats at time of shooting • May be moved to remove victims • Height or positions of windows and door openings. • Obtain while archiving the exterior and interior. • Manufacturer’s diagram of vehicle can • Help with sketching the vehicle … • Internet or from manufacturer’s advertising records. • Have helpful dimension data. • Behavior of vehicle in motion. • How vehicle reacts in specific circumstances can be helpful. • Older vehicle: likely not react as though it was newer. • Information is only available through experimentation. • Nature of scene terrain • Obtained from surveyor records or by analysis after the event. Some • Road contour obtained during scene investigation. • Effects of scene terrain, • Effect on bullet path determinations a important to ensure bullet paths are accurate, Vehicle specific information http://wot.motortrend.com/ford-celebrates-65th-anniversary-of-original-f-1-pickup-truck-316385.html/1948-ford-f-4-body-diagram/#axzz2PnGtwx00

4. Systematic & Logical Approach. • Follow normal scene investigative process • Archiving • Collect as much information about the vehicle as possible • Photography/video all four sides and license plates. • Record VIN number, tire manufacturer and size, • Locate & categorize macroscene evidence • Damage to the body of the vehicle, • Bullet holes/defects, • Impressions in the paint (hit and run of a pedestrian), • Blood and fibers • Adhering to glass (windshield), • Tissue and blood on the undercarriage and tires. • Identify macro/microscene evidence • Use ALS to search for fibers and fingerprints. • Find trace evidence before attempting bullet path determinations.

5. Investigative Questions • Was vehicle in motion at the time the shooting • Complicate the investigative process • Consider alternative investigative questions • When and where did bullets impact vehicle. • Information might come from live victims or witnesses • Position of broken glass on the ground. • Bullets through a windshield can help … can provide information concerning where the vehicle was when the windshield was struck. • Other questions involve number of participants, shooter locations, vehicle position, etc • Tires are an issue because bullet strikes can deflate them slowly … vehicle cocked at angle not there before shooting. • All considerations must be taken into account because an erroneous determinations, e.g., bullet path determination, lead to an incorrect reconstruction of the events.

6. On-Scene Activity

7. On-Scene Activities • Two separate activities take place when vehicles are involved in shooting incidents • On-Scene • Archiving • Positioning vehicle • Dusting for fingerprints on exterior • Procedures for biological evidence on exterior • Locating other impression evidence • Glass (patterns/protecting windows) • Cartridge cases (archiving/collection)

8. Sketching Vehicle Shooting ScenesBullet Path Diagrams Must be Accurate Angles must be to scale & correct

9. Tire Tracks • Final resting place not necessarily where the shooting began … must determine where the shooting started. • Tire tracks … skid marks … • Determine where shooting happened • Indicate if/where the driver lost control, applied the brakes or swerved. • This information plus the bullet path determinations and positioning of the shooter can go a long way toward reconstructing the event

10. Outside of the Vehicle On-Scene Activity • The conduit to the inside, … by Locard standards anyone who touched the vehicle must leave evidence. • Macroscene elements associated with exterior include: footwear impressions, tire track impressions, paint transfers, bullet holes, blood and tissue, glass, cartridge cases, etc. • Microscene elements associated with exterior: fibers, fingerprints, trace evidence associated with bullet holes, etc. • What matters is that this evidence is not forgotten in the haste to track bullets paths – they’re more fun. • Investigate outside first so that fragile evidence is not lost. • This does not include sticking trajectory rods into bullet holes.

12. Inside the Vehicle • Archiving the Inside – After investigating the outside of vehicle • Establishing shots (and video) of the interior looking outside-in from all exterior points of the vehicle • Followed by midrange shots through the windows and doors • Live victims might have been removed • Process can compromise evidence • Deceased victims might still be inside the vehicle • Positions must be documented. • Macroscene evidence • Location and pattern of bloodstains • Bullet holes, bullets/ fragments • Cartridge cases • Broken glass. • Determine who was where inside the vehicle, • If driver and passengers are not present. • Position of blood and bloodstain patterns, fingerprints, and biological material on air bags can be mechanism for obtaining information.

14. Issues in Bullet Path Determinations • Vehicle Composition • Various classes of structural material. • Structural: • Holds the vehicle together, e.g., frame, axels, etc, and • Non-structural: which although structural in that it has form and shape is more practical and • Decorative instead of maintaining the integrity of the vehicle, e.g., dashboard, seats, interior door panels, etc.

15. On-Scene Activity Fixing Vehicle Location • Position the Vehicle • First activities of the on-scene investigation is to fix the final resting position of the vehicle. • Mark position of the four vehicle’s tires at the original scene • Spray a fluorescent line of paint starting at the midpoint of all four tires (the axels) and moving onto the pavement. … anchors vehicle to that location on the roadway. • Allows investigators and reconstructionists to know exactly where the vehicle originally came to rest. • Determine Tilt of Vehicle • Vehicles are not always perfectly horizontal to the roadway. • Place inclinometer on the trunk and/or hood of the vehicle (if it was an automobile) • Gives the resting angle of the vehicle. • NOTE: tilting vehicle might be normal resting position, e.g., worn structural components … consequence of the shooting incident, e.g., flattened tires. Fluorescent Spray Paint Continue spray onto road surface

16. Position of Vehicle • Identify vertical plane • Plumb line or surveyor’s rod • Measurements @ scene critical • Vehicle shot @ this location • Fixed reference point can suffice but is not ideal • Edge of building • Telephone pole • Horizontal plane • Tilt/listing of vehicle • Photography with plumb line • Measure with Inclinometer Horizontal from the Road Tilt of the Vehicle

18. Off-Scene Activity Measuring the Vehicle

19. Off Scene Activities • Bullet path determination • Interior of the vehicle investigation • begin. At controlled facility … police-secured garage • Dusting/developing fingerprints • After dusting exterior at the scene • Blood and tissue collection

20. Describe Bullet Holes/Defects • Step 1 Archive vehicle using establishing photography and/or video • Next take midrange and close-up photos of damage and suspected bullet holes/defects • Impact points, bullet holes and defects, etc. • Step 2: Measure bullet holes/defects • Measure length and width of the hole/defect • Calculate impact angle. • Step 3: Describe defects • For future reference so that anyone examining the case at a later time can understand the precise positioning of the bullet holes/defects. • Create artificial vertical and horizontal reference points • Requires several measurements. • Referenced to a standard vertical and horizontal artificial point, the reference point (RP).

21. Describing Bullet Holes/Defects • Purpose: Relate bullet holes/defects to a standard reference point • One method • Use fixed points on the vehicle as reference for each defect measured, e.g., trim, molding, hook lines, etc . • Example • A bullet hole in the driver’s side door could be described (on a diagram of the door) as being 6” below the door handle and 21.5” to the right of the horizontal line drawn to the front edge of the driver’s side door. • Photographs properly place the bullet hole/defect. • Describing a bullet hole in a wall in a house like this makes sense • Referring to structural points on vehicles not easily translated into precise locations • Because of how vehicles are built. • Two accepted methods The Haag and the Moran Methods.

22. The Haag Method • “Squaring the vehicle” • Place vehicle inside an artificial box using horizontally placed strings attached to tripods or other immovable objects. • One along the side of the vehicle • Other in the front (and/or back). • Horizontal references meet at a point at a right angle (the standard reference point). • Vehicle removed from scene to secure location to controlled, smooth & level surface • Bullet hole/impact mark measurements are made to this reference point • Three measurements taken to precisely position hole/defects • Height of reference point • Angle from bullet hole/defect to reference point • Height off the ground of the bullet hole/defect on the vehicle

24. Squaring the Vehicle Establishing the Front Horizontal Reference

25. The Moran Method • Alternate method for creating a standard reference point for holes/defects • Takes place in controlled environment • On smooth, level surface • Standard references • Horizontal reference determined by placing tape on the floor a set number of inches away from the vehicle axel on each tire. • Vertical reference is tape place vertically on the vehicle. • Measurements from bullet holes/defects are related to the height and distance from the hole to the horizontal and vertical references.

26. Squaring the Vehicle Moran Method Vertical Reference Horizontal Reference

27. Perforating Strikes to Vehicles • Anything can happen and that complicates bullet paths determination. • Bullet enters the vehicle • Encounters obstacles • Fragmenting bullets create secondary projectiles • Alters bullet path • Creating deflections and/or ricochets • Tracking bullets is tedious • Requires dismantling parts of the interior of the vehicle. Dashboard of Vehicle Projectile Hits Windshield & fragments Projectile & fragments Hit Dashboard Creates Multiple defects in dashboard And in interior of vehicle.

29. Penetrating Strikes to Vehicles

30. Penetrating (Non-exiting) Strikes to Vehicles • Bullets strike but do not exit … • Complicates bullet path determinations … • NEED two points of contact in order to accurately identify a bullet path. Second point contact inside a structural element. • Example: • Bullet strikes internal structure of door, • Determined only by tearing the seat apart and observing and then photographing the mark made by the bullet. • Sometimes “seeing”where bullet struck is technically challenging • Requires cutting a hole in door panel. • How to • Cut viewing panel or window to locate bullet and to determine bullet paths

32. Penetrating Strikes to VehiclesBullets that do not exit • Locating Second Impact Point • Borescope w/internal illumination • Help locate second impact site or even the bullet • Need to properly position trajectory rod and/or laser • Recover ALL bullets http://www.globaltestsupply.com/c/116/Extech_BR200_Video_Borescope_Wireless_Inspection_Camera.html?gclid=COrdxrOcubYCFdE7Ogod1jAAJQ

33. Sandy Hook Car http://www.insanemedia.net/sandy-hook-evidence-sandy-hook-crime-scene/1193

34. Shooter Positions

35. Shooter Positions Possible but Improbable Possible but More Probable Impossible Position

36. Shooter Positions: Zones of Possibility

37. Sketching Vehicle Involved Shooting Scenes

38. Case Study • Victim attacked while inside vehicle. • 30, 7.62mm rounds fired. • Victim hit 7 times - died @ Scene. • Victim’s 7 year old Daughter hit 3 times - survived.

40. Trajectory Rods • Trajectory Rods Indicate: • Angle projectile struck object. • Angle shooter was firing. • Combine casing location: • Determine approximate • distance from the object shooter located

41. 4 Lasers Photo’d in Darkness Laser & Camera Setup • Rules of Laser Scene Capture: • Prepare & Photograph the Scene. • Photograph the Laser Setup. • Photograph the Camera Setup. • Photograph in Existing Light. • Photograph in Total Darkness. 4 Lasers Photographed

42. Trajectory Rod Reconstruction

43. Trajectory Rod Reconstruction