Self-Defense & Use-of-Force Investigations

Self-defense and use-of-force cases require an investigator who understands what happens before, during and after an encounter involving force.

My investigative background includes 32 years in law enforcement, major-crime investigations, Internal Affairs, SWAT operations, defensive tactics instruction, and police union labor representation.

During my career as an Internal Affairs investigator and police union labor representative, I responded to and conducted investigations involving more than 100 officer-involved shootings. That experience provided firsthand knowledge of how use-of-force incidents are investigated, documented, reviewed, and evaluated.

I am also a certified NRA pistol instructor and have instructed more than 1000 Florida citizens in responsible handgun use, the applicable Florida statutes and firearms safety.

I bring that experience to the independent investigation of civilian self-defense and use-of-force cases.

I can assist criminal defense attorneys and paralegals by:

• Conducting independent witness interviews and locating additional witnesses.
• Examining the physical scene and available evidence. 
• Reviewing reports, statements, photographs, video, and other documentation.
• Reconstructing the sequence of events.
• Identifying inconsistencies, investigative gaps, and overlooked evidence.
• Examining the actions, perceptions, and circumstances of those involved.
• Identifying evidence that may support the client's account.
• Providing documented investigative findings to assist the defense team in case preparation.

I do not make the legal determination of whether conduct constitutes lawful self-defense. I investigate and document the facts that allow counsel to make that determination.

My experience allows me to understand both how law enforcement investigates use-of-force incidents and how those investigations can be challenged through an independent examination of the evidence.

I do not begin with an assumption about what happened.

I begin with the evidence.

Gather the facts. Preserve the truth. Protect my clients' interests.