2021
Jessica Winn
Miami, FL
A suspect’s pistol was submitted to the laboratory as part of an officer involved shooting. When submitting the suspect’s pistol, the agency was concerned as to whether comparisons could be performed as “the gun had been hit by an officer’s round,” but no other information was given on the pistol. Skeptical as to the extent of the damage, the agency was assured that comparisons may still be performed even with damaged firearms. Once submitted, however, the extent of the damage to the susprect’s pistol was shocking and never before seen. Determining the possible source of the dmage proved to be challengin, but interesting as well. This case study presentation will discuss the extent of the damage to the pistol, the probably cause of the damage, and resulting shooting reconstruction. The eventual comparison of the inoperable firearm to cartridge cases from the scene will also be discussed.