Crime Scene Investigation: Road Rage Incident
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You are part of the investigative team called to the scene of a road rage incident. The deceased victim is in the driver's seat of a Toyota, which has crashed into a telephone pole.
The first responders have detained a suspect who was seen by witnesses chasing the Toyota at high speed before the Toyota crashed. The suspect claims the driver of the Toyota had shot at him earlier.
After further questioning, the suspect admits that he had drifted out of his lane and clipped the Toyota accidentally about a mile back. He claims the Toyota driver responded by firing two shots at his car and then driving off at high speed before losing control and crashing.
An examination of the suspect's car shows one bullet hole in the windshield. No gun was found in the Toyota, but there do appear to be two bullet casings in the foot well on the driver's side. The suspect in custody does not appear to have been injured but is agitated. The first responders report that it took three officers to hold him still to place handcuffs on him.
How will the investigator determine whether the driver of the Toyota did, in fact, shoot at the suspect's car? Explain whether this question can be determined even if the gun is never found. Of course, it is possible that the suspect's car had a bullet hole in the windshield from a previous incident.
If it turns out that a gun was later found on the highway, how will investigators determine whether it was the gun used in this incident? Be specific about the procedures for matching the gun to the incident and to the driver of the Toyota.
Assume that a white, powdery residue was found in the suspect's car. How would the investigator collect and preserve a sample, and how it would be tested both in the field and at the laboratory?
How would the investigator look for evidence to support or refute the suspect's version of events? For instance, what evidence might be revealed by an examination of the cars and street?
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Solution Summary
This posting gives you a step-by-step explanation of road rage leading to death of a driver. The response also contains the sources used.
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Step 1
The investigator can determine if the driver of the Toyota did, in fact, shoot at the suspect's car by examining the hands of the Toyota driver and spraying it for gunpowder. If traces are found on the hand then there is a high probability that the Toyota driver did shoot at the suspect's care. For this procedure the gun is not required. The second method the investigator must use is to search for and find the bullet that must have been in the car if there is bullet hole in the windshield and there is no exit hole in the car. When the investigator finds the bullet, he must preserve both the bullets and casings. The forensic department can match the bullets to the casings found in the Toyota. If the casings and bullet match, the man in the Toyota fired at the suspect's car. If the suspect's car had a bullet hole in the windshield from a previous incident, close inspection and forensic analysis would show that the bullet hole was not fresh. Interrogation of the suspect would also reveal if the bullet hole was from a previous incident. Normally, bullet incidents are reported to the police and are recorded. There would be a record showing that a bullet incident had taken place in the past(a). The fact that the Toyota driver did shoot at the suspect's car can be determined at this stage by testing the hand of the driver for gunpowder traces, by searching for the bullet in the suspect's car, forensic examination of the windshield hole, and matching the bullet with the bullet casings found in Toyota. Moreover, if two bullets were fired it is likely that there would ...
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