Ballistics Expert

The role of the ballistics expert will be to carry out various forms of testing at the ballistics laboratory in order to be able to; identify the particular make of firearm that was used in an attack, match shell casings to a particular make of firearm, ascertain the space between the victim and the individual using the firearm and whether or not the injury that the victim has sustained has been the result of the firearm in question due to matching the striations on a bullet recovered from the scene and comparison tests with those test fired in the ballistics laboratory.  The ballistics expert may also be required to match the wound that the individual has sustained to a particular firearm.  The ballistics expert will use various forms of equipment that are an essential part of identifying the answers required regarding firearms in a criminal investigation, such as; the database or a comparison microscope.  The role and responsibility of the ballistics expert will be to identify the firearm make and model using various forms of testing in the ballistics laboratory and also document/ record their findings as they will be required for use in the court.  It is essential that the documentation/ recordings are accurate and detailed as they will be questioned by the members of the prosecution team in court if the case regards an attack on an individual using a firearm and the individual on charge denies that they were involved.  The service of a ballistics expert would only be required in a criminal investigation that involved the use of a firearm, therefore in a terrorist attack that involved the use of firearms the ballistics expert may be called to attend the scene.  The ballistics expert would have the role and responsibility of looking at the bullet holes found in the walls of a bank, for example.