Shooting Incident Reconstruction

Michael Haag is the Technical Leader in the Firearm & Tool Mark Unit, in the Scientific Evidence Division for the Albuquerque, New Mexico Police Department. Mr. Haag has held this position for over 20 years. In addition, he is also a member of the Albuquerque Police Department Major Crime Scene Team and a Blood Alcohol Analyst. Mr. Haag is a Distinguished Member of the Association of Firearm and Toolmark Examiners (AFTE), is the Editor of AFTE News, Assistant Editor of the AFTE; and a member of the American Academy of Forensic Science (AAFS), the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENSFI), the Southwest Association of Forensic Scientists (SWAFS) and the Association for Crime Scene Reconstruction (ACSR). Mr. Haag also conducts regular training, seminars and workshops around the world for the AFTE, FBI, IAI, AAFS and ASCLAD, to name a few. Mr. Haag was co-author with his father on the highly successful second edition of Shooting Incident Reconstruction, which published in 2011. Lucien C. “Luke” Haag is a former Criminalist and Technical Director of the Phoenix Crime Laboratory, with over 53 years of experience in the field of criminalistics and forensic firearms examination. He is the author of the 1st edition of the book, Shooting Incident Reconstruction, 2005 and co-author of the 2nd edition 2011. Presently he is an independent forensic consultant with his own company, Forensic Science Services, Inc., that provides criminalistics services to prosecutors, public defenders, private attorneys, law enforcement agencies, insurance companies, educational institutions and private individuals. Luke Haag has a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley with subsequent forensic training at California State University at Long Beach, Indiana University, Arizona State University, the FBI Laboratory, the FBI Forensic Training Facility, and course work in Forensic Microscopy from the McCrone Institute. In addition to Distinguished Membership status in the AFTE and the California Association of Criminalists, he is a member of the SWAFS, the AAFS, an Associate Member of ENFSI and past board member of the International Wound Ballistics Association. He has authored and presented over 200 scientific papers, most of which have dealt with various exterior and terminal ballistic properties, effects and behavior of projectiles. His primary area of special interest is the reconstruction of shooting scenes and incidents.

"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) ReviewPraise 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

• 1. Case Approach2. Working Shooting Scenes3. The Reconstructive Aspects of Class Characteristics and a Limited Universe4. Is it a Bullet Hole?5. Some Useful Reagents and Their Application6. Distance And Orientation Derived from Gunshot Residue Pattterns7. Projectile Penetration and Perforation8. Projectiles and Glass9. Projectile Ricochet and Deflection10. The Principles of “Trajectory” Reconstruction11. Gunshot Wounds and Trajectories in Human Bodies12. Trace Evidence Considerations Associated with Firearms Evidence13. True Ballistics: Long Distance Shootings and Falling Bullets14. Cartridge Case Ejection and Ejection Patterns15. The Shooting of Motor Vehicles16. Shotgun Shootings and Evidence17. The Sound Levels of Gunshots, Supersonic Bullets, and Other Impulse Sounds18. Ultimate Objectives, Reports and Court Presentation