Speaker:
Dr. G:
2
:
We just got done learning
about ballistics.
3
:
So here to tell us more about it is Dr.
4
:
Nancy Bradley.
5
:
Thank you so much for being here.
6
:
Dr. Nancy Bradley:
7
:
Hi, I'm, uh, Dr.
8
:
Nancy Bradley.
9
:
Uh, we talked about ballistics.
10
:
It was just kind of a brief
overview of, of ballistics.
11
:
Basically a little bit of background
on firearms, a few statistics, uh,
12
:
potentially a little bit about ammunition
and projectiles, and then potentially
13
:
what to look for in the live or the
deceased animal, uh, different signs.
14
:
And then potentially how to
identify like entry/exit wounds,
15
:
penetration, perforation, you know,
did it go all the way through?
16
:
Did it, did it stay in the animal?
17
:
And then potentially recovery of the
ballistics, and then potentially, um,
18
:
creating those relationships with that
ballistic expert or the CSI folks,
19
:
and then potentially ongoing training.
20
:
And then the benefit of training,
uh, even on the human side, uh,
21
:
especially for veterinarians and,
and then potentially applying to
22
:
your examining board, especially if
you're the one doing the forensics.
23
:
Usually we're few and far between, so we
can petition to our veterinary examining
24
:
boards, even if we got, uh, stuff through,
say, forensic training, forensic nurse
25
:
training, or an, a medical examiner's
office and get partial CE for it.
26
:
But again, in that training, you're
learning stuff, but then it's just
27
:
a goldmine of networking and then
establishing those relationships
28
:
for when these cases arise.
29
:
Dr. G:
30
:
So what is the kind of
information that we can gain?
31
:
Dr. Nancy Bradley:
32
:
Well, I think the biggest thing my
main takeaway of, of the lecture is
33
:
hopefully- not to create, you know,
weapon specialists or Dirty Harry
34
:
or anything like that, but it's to
identify if there is a projectile
35
:
and to collect that projectile.
36
:
'Cause a lot of times, like
a BB or pellet, a lot of
37
:
people take that for granted.
38
:
Well, BBs are smooth bore.
39
:
There's no rifling, so
there's no reconnection.
40
:
But a lot of pellets have, uh, their,
their rifles are, uh, rifle- rifling
41
:
in the barrel, so there is some
kind of tracing back to that weapon.
42
:
So I think any time an animal is
shot, and then you potentially can
43
:
recover the projectile, and you're
looking and you're seeing rifling of
44
:
any kind, even if there's no suspect,
even if it's just a stray animal or
45
:
just a, you know, a TNR cat, right?
46
:
That, that law enforcement should
be contacted and let them put
47
:
that in their property room.
48
:
Uh, in my lecture also, I talked about
the serial shooter case in Phoenix,
49
:
which was, I think, uh, 2005 to 2006.
50
:
And, um, a lot of that was
horses and, and, and dogs,
51
:
uh, across the entire valley.
52
:
So, you know, Mesa in the
East Valley all the way out to
53
:
Tolleson in the West Valley.
54
:
So...
55
:
And a lot of, uh, people died.
56
:
People were crippled.
57
:
A lot of animals died.
58
:
Um, but if-- It ha- It
started out with the animals.
59
:
And if we were maybe a little bit
more aggressive in the, in the, in the
60
:
beginning and tried to assert, be more
assertive, that we could have saved
61
:
lives or prevented people from being
crippled or because there were people
62
:
that were shot, they're gonna be in
wheelchairs the rest of their life.
63
:
Um, those two, like I said, one
gentleman received a death sentence,
64
:
and the other one is life imprisonment.
65
:
So, um, the-- my takeaway is that
hopefully any time an animal's shot is to
66
:
get that projectile, if at all possible,
um, without endangering the animal.
67
:
If it's deceased, get the,
get the projectile, you know?
68
:
Get the information and potentially
hopefully have law enforcement get it.
69
:
And even if they're just storing it Okay.
70
:
It's like, if you remember, I was talking
to people here at the meeting, Helter
71
:
Skelter, back with Charles Manson.
72
:
They actually had, uh, a broken .22
73
:
gun from some of the initial homicides
back, people that are old enough
74
:
to remember the '60s killing in,
in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills,
75
:
and that gun had been recovered.
76
:
It was sitting in a property room,
and nobody connected the dots.
77
:
And they finally did connect
the dots, and then it started
78
:
putting the whole thing together.
79
:
And if we can collect these projectiles,
especially ones with rifling, with...
80
:
that are, that are traceable to a
weapon if it's ever found, then that
81
:
would be, that would be meaningful.
82
:
Dr. G:
83
:
And for, like, investigators,
especially, like, veterinarians,
84
:
and there will be veterinarians that
are doing these necropsies that are
85
:
not trained in forensics, what are,
what is kinda like a do, dos or
86
:
don'ts of collecting these samples?
87
:
Dr. Nancy Bradley:
88
:
That's the big one, and I still
have to collect my colleagues at,
89
:
at Arizona Humane, even though
we do these cases all the time.
90
:
Never, never use a metal instrument, okay?
91
:
You have, uh, if you use
a metal instrument, you're
92
:
gonna destroy the rifling.
93
:
That's that fingerprinting along
the side of the projectile.
94
:
Always use, uh, plastic
forceps or gloved hands, okay?
95
:
It could be exam gloves or sterile gloves.
96
:
It doesn't have to be sterile gloves.
97
:
But you, again, you don't wanna, um, m-
mess that up in any way, and I've had, you
98
:
know, I've had to correct colleagues on
that, so it, it, it is really important.
99
:
Dr. G:
100
:
Excellent.
101
:
Well, thank you so much for your
information, and thank you for
102
:
being here and for what you do.
103
:
Dr. Nancy Bradley:
104
:
Good.
105
:
Thank you.
