Title: Multi-disciplinary approach to a use-of-force investigation: case study

Authors: Geoffrey Thor Desmoulin; Marc-André Nolette; David M. Blake

Addresses: GTD Scientific Inc., 2037 MacKay Ave., North Vancouver, BC, V7P 2M8, Canada ' GTD Scientific Inc., 2037 MacKay Ave., North Vancouver, BC, V7P 2M8, Canada ' Blake Consulting., P.O. Box 784, Brentwood, CA, 94513, USA

Abstract: Investigating a violent encounter can be a complicated endeavour as evidence is often incomplete or misleading. However, with the right combination of expertise, it is frequently possible to establish a verifiable fact pattern. The work presented illustrates this point by reviewing the investigation of a violent police-citizen encounter resulting in a loss of life. The ensuing discussion uses video analysis of body-worn camera footage as the overview for the events under review before quantifying them using both testing and literature. Individually, video forensics, human factors psychology and biomechanics allowed a greater understanding of the timing involved in the discharge of the firearm, relative movement patterns during the altercation and a plausible sequence of shots fired. Using these multi-disciplined approaches together however, provided validation of the same.

Keywords: injury biomechanics; video analysis; human factors psychology; perception-response-time; forensics.

DOI: 10.1504/IJFE.2025.147536

International Journal of Forensic Engineering, 2025 Vol.5 No.3, pp.188 - 205

Received: 05 Feb 2021
Accepted: 04 Sep 2021
Published online: 21 Jul 2025 *

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