David G. Townshend
| Forensic Firearms Examiner |
EDUCATION
· Michigan State University
Bachelor of Science School of Criminal Justice 1971
Master of Science School of Criminal Justice 1973
EXPERIENCE
· In 1964, I joined the Michigan State Police. As a Trooper with
the Michigan State Police, I served at posts in Mt. Pleasant and Ionia.
· I was transferred in 1969, to the Firearms-Toolmark and Explosive
Identification Unit of the Michigan State Police, East Lansing Crime Laboratory.
· My duties in the laboratory included; processing for evidence
and photographing of major crime scenes, crime scene reconstruction, microscopic
examination and analysis of crime scene evidence, the microscopic and
macroscopic examination of evidence pertaining to firearms, firearms operation,
firearms distance determination, firearms and tool mark identification,
photography, bombs and explosives and serial number restoration.
· I have visited the majority of firearms manufacturers located
in the Eastern United States, including Smith & Wesson, Remington,
Colt, Beretta, Winchester-Western, Ruger, Savage Arms, Harrington &
Richardson, Charter Arms, Hi-Standard, Mossberg, Marlin, Thompson-Center,
Heckler & Koch, Sig-Arms and Bauer Firearms Company.
· Manufacturing techniques, assembly and testing procedures of
various types of firearms were observed at each firearm manufacturer.
· In firearms training I have had the opportunity to attend firearms
armorer schools presented by Smith & Wesson, Sturm-Ruger, Beretta
U. S. A., and Glock Inc., gunsmith seminars conducted by Remington Arms
Company and Law enforcement familiarization classes presented by Sig-Arms.
· I have also visited Wilson Arms Company, in Connecticut; G. McMillan
& Company, near Phoenix, Arizona; Canadian Industries Limited, Montreal,
Canada; and Remington Ammunition Company, Bridgeport, Connecticut.
· I have attended a one week Gun Powder and Primer Residues class
at the F. B. I. Academy in Quantico, Virginia.
· In addition to Firearms and Tool mark identification, my duties
in the Crime Laboratory included working in the field of bombs and explosives.
· I have worked with bomb disposal units in New York City, Detroit,
Montreal, Canada, Dade County, Florida, and the 75th Military Explosive
Ordnance Disposal Unit.
· I have conducted numerous explosive scene investigations and
conducted macro and microscopic examination of countless items of evidence
obtained from post blast scenes and explosives devices.
· While training in the field of bombs & explosives, I had
the opportunity to attend the following schools: Hazardous Devices School
conducted by the U. S. Army & F. B. I. at the Redstone Arsenal in
Huntsville, Alabama, three weeks
· Hazardous Devices refresher schools also at the Redstone Arsenal
two weeks
· Advance Explosive Investigation Techniques School, conducted
by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Unit of the United States
Treasury Department, at Glenco, Georgia, two weeks
· F. B. I. Bomb Commanders Seminar at the F. B. I. Academy In Quantico,
Virginia, one week
· I have visited several explosive manufacturers located in the
United States and Canada. At these plants I was able to observe techniques
employed in the manufacturing and testing of various types of commercially
manufactured explosives and blasting caps.
· Explosive manufacturers visited would include; Hercules Powder
Company, Atlas Manufacturing Company, Ensign & Bickford, Trojan Powder
Company, Austin Powder Company, Canadian Industries Limited and the DuPont
Powder Company.
· Since 1969, I have also worked in forensic photography and crime
scene photography which included photomicrography.
· I attended the following photography classes: Police photography
class at the F. B. I. Academy, two weeks;
· Michigan State Police Crime Scene Photography Workshop, one week
· Forensic Crime Laboratory Photography class at the F. B. I. Academy,
three weeks
· Kodak Law Enforcement Photography Workshop, one week
· Numerous photography classes and a Kodak Photography Seminar.
EXPERT TESTIMONY
· I have qualified in various courts as an expert in firearms and
firearms identification, which includes the operational design and functioning
of various types of firearms, including rifles, shotguns, pistols, revolvers,
air rifles and pistols.
· I have testified as an expert witness in ballistics, firearms
and firearms identification in District Courts, Circuit Courts, in Georgia,
Michigan, New Jersey, Illinois, in the Court of Common Pleas in the State
of Ohio, as well as Federal Courts in Michigan and Texas.
· I have provided expert testimony regarding microscopic and chemical
tests for firearms residue and distance determination tests and gun shot
residue testing (GSR), in various State Courts in Michigan.
· I have also testified as an expert in bombs and explosives and
tool mark identification in both State and Federal Courts in the State
of Michigan, and State Court in Georgia.
· On numerous occasions I have qualified as an expert in photography,
crime scene photography, crime scene investigation, crime scene processing
and crime scene reconstruction, in State Court in the State of Georgia,
and various State Courts in the State of Michigan.
· I have also presented expert testimony regarding crime scene
reconstruction, crime scene investigation, shooting scene reconstruction,
firearms & toolmark identification & ballistics in Federal Courts
in the States of Louisiana, San Juan R.R. and Michigan.
· I have examined, photographed and processed numerous homicide
and shooting crime scenes in the State of Michigan, and homicide crime
scenes and evidence examination in the States of Georgia, Louisiana, Texas
and Cape Dorset, Nunavut, Canada.
· On several occasions, I have qualified as an expert in tool mark
examination and identification in District and Circuit Courts in the State
of Michigan.
· I have also qualified as an expert, and presented testimony in
United States Federal Court in the State of Michigan.
TEACHING
· A part of my duties with the Michigan State Police involved providing
instructions and teaching at various specialized law-enforcement classes.
· I have taught classes in crime scene investigation, including
crime scene reconstruction, crime scene processing which in-cludes: measurements,
sketching, photography, footwear photo-graphy and casting, photographing,
collection, preservation, marking and packaging of evidence, tool mark
collection and casting techniques, firearms residue and distance determination,
gun shot residue (GSR) testing lifting and swabbing techniques, safety
procedures and precautions in the proper handling of firearms, firearms
and tool mark identification, and bombs and explosives.
· These classes were taught at various Michigan State Police Academy
training classes for State Police Officers, advanced Detective schools
and law enforcement officers from throughout the State of Michigan.
· I have attended and taught a segment of a one week "The
Investigation of Violent Death" seminar conducted by Michigan State
University in conjunction with Edward W. Sparrow Hospital, in Lansing,
Michigan.
· I attended a four day "Practical Homicide Investigation"
course conducted by Jackson Community College. I have lectured and conducted
classes at various colleges and junior colleges for law enforcement seminars
throughout the State of Michigan regarding the above listed topics and
have also taught a criminal investigation class.
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
AND PUBLICATIONS
· I am a member of the Association of Firearms and Tool Mark Examiners
(AFTE).
· I have authored articles regarding firearms and tool mark identification,
and various explosive evidence identification articles.
· These articles were published by the Journal of Forensic Science,
the Association of Firearms and Tool Mark Examiners Journal, and the F.B.I.
Law Enforcement Bulletin.
· I have also written training bulletins regarding firearms and
tool mark evidence, bombs and explosives and photography that were used
by the Michigan State Police for State Police and law enforcement training
schools.
· I have presented technical programs at AFTE seminars regarding
crime scene reconstruction and investigation incorporating the use of
a laser in a homicide investigation, death and serious injuries from air
guns, and firearms and tool mark identification cases.
POST MICHIGAN STATE POLICE
· On May 31,1989, I retired from the Michigan State Police after
twenty-five years of service.
· The last twenty years I worked in the Crime Laboratory in the
Firearms-Toolmark and Bombs and Explosives Identification Unit.
· At the time of my retirement I held the rank of Detective Lieutenant
and was the Commanding Officer of the Firearms-Toolmark and Explosive
Identification Unit at the Michigan State Police East Lansing Laboratory.
· I have worked on and presented expert testimony in several police
shooting cases in the state of Michigan.
· The majority of these cases involved crime scene reconstruction,
photography and the use of laser equipment.
· Expert testimony has been presented in both depositions and courtroom
testimony.
· Courts which I have testified in regarding these cases would
be; Wayne County and Macomb County Circuit Courts and U. S. Federal Courts
in Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo, Detroit, Michigan; Lake Charles, Louisiana; Chicago,
Illinois and San Juan P.R.
· Since retiring from the Michigan State Police, I have devoted
my entire time to the operation of Forensic Examination Service.
· I have conducted examinations and worked on several air gun cases
from numerous states including; Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Tennessee,
Texas, Illinois, Maine, Missouri, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Louisiana,
West Virginia, Virginia and Washington.
· I have presented expert testimony in several of the above listed
states in either deposition or courtroom testimony.
· Paintball gun examinations, testing and examinations, have been
conducted on cases from Georgia, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia Kentucky and
Texas.
· Evidence related to civil matters, has been examined and testified
to in Federal Courts in Michigan, Louisiana, Texas and San Juan PR.
· Evidence has also been examined on criminal cases from; Alaska,
Texas, Illinois, Georgia, Ohio, Cape Dorset, Nunavut, and Michigan.
· I developed a one week "Advanced Crime/Accident Scene Photography"
class which has been conducted for several years, at Lansing Community
College.
· I assisted in the developing of an eighty hour, Crime Scene Evidence
Technician course at Lansing Community College.
· In this course I instruct approximately 36-44 hours, on firearms
and tool mark identification, firearms residue and distance determinations,
gun shot residue (GSR) testing and swabbing techniques, photography, crime
scene photography, evidence photography, foot wear photography, collection
and packaging of evidence, crime scene processing, crime scene search
& sketching, and information on bombs and explosives.
· This course was taught at Lansing Community College, for approximately
sixteen years, and for two years was taught at Northern Michigan University,
in Marquette, Michigan.
· In September of 1996, I attended a "Shooting Crime Scene
Processing & Reconstruction Seminar" held at the F.B.I. Academy,
Quantico, Virginia. At this seminar I had the opportunity to present two
short programs. The first program was entitled, The Use Of A Laser, In
Reconstructing An Eight Year Old Homicide.
· The second program dealt with various aspects involved in attempting
to identify fired bullets recovered at a shooting crime scene, with a
sawed off barrel from a semi-automatic firearm, recovered by search warrant
from the suspect's residence.
· I conducted a .40 S&W caliber, handgun ammunition evaluation
and performance test for the Detroit Police Department. Testing was conducted
using a departmental issued .40 S&W caliber Glock model 22, semi-automatic
pistol.
· The testing procedures utilized and exceeded those used and/or
recommended by the FBI.
· In the fall of 2000, I participated in the development and teaching
of a five week tool mark identification school at the Georgia Bureau of
Investigation Scientific Laboratory, located near Atlanta Georgia.
· I taught two weeks of the five week school. Material covered
involved identification of tool marks on bone, paper, metal, plastic,
glass and numerous other surfaces.
· Microscopic examinations were conducted on explosive blast debris
and explosive devices for the presence of tool marks.
· In attendance at the school were members of the Georgia Bureau
of Investigation, State of Louisiana and the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
· In the spring of 2001, I participated in teaching a one month
segment of a 6 month firearms identification school at the Florida Department
of Law Enforcement Crime Laboratory located in Tampa, Florida.
· In attendance in the class were individuals from the states of
Florida and Georgia. Also in attendance were 2 Officers from The Royal
Bahamas Police Force.
· In the fall of 2001, I authored an article dealing with aspects
of firearms & tool mark identification for Crime & Punishment,
encyclopedia, published by Berkshire Publishing Company.
· Crime & Punishment is a four volume set encyclopedia totaling
approximately 1,875 pages. The encyclopedia dealing with various aspects
of forensic science and law enforcement.
· The four volume set was published and distributed in the spring
of 2002.
· In the spring of 2002 I conducted a one week Crime Scene Investigation
& Photography School, for the Limestone County, Alabama Sheriff Department.
· In attendance at the school were Officers from various city &
county agencies from Alabama and Tennessee.
· I am a member of the Association of Firearms and Toolmark Examiners,
the Association of Crime Scene Reconstruction, and the International Wound
Ballistics Association, I am also a member of the National Rifle Association.
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