Firearms Consultants

TRIDENT INVESTIGATIVE SERVICE, INC., founded in 1991, provides Professional Investigative, Detection Canine, and Security Consulting Services for law firm, insurance company, and corporate clients offering the following services: 

• Threat and Vulnerability Assessments
• Physical Security Consulting
• Executive and Personal Protection
• Targeted Violence Risk Management, High-Risk Employee Terminations, Stalking Investigations
• Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM)
• Pre and Post-Employment Screening, Background Research, Protective Intelligence, and Asset Recovery
• Intellectual Property, Corporate, and Legal Investigations
• Covert Photographic and Video Surveillance
• Technical Security and Countermeasures
• Contraband Detection Utilizing Canines
• Handgun, Shotgun, Patrol Carbine, Scoped Rifle, TASER, Restraint, and Less-lethal Instructor

Founder, Michael J. Canaan, CPP CFLC is a Forensic Security Management Expert Witness with over 40 years of experience in Military and Civil Law Enforcement, Corporate and Private Investigation professions. He has conducted investigative, security risk and threat assessment services throughout North America, to include Alaska and Canada, as well as, several countries in Central and South America for individuals and corporations in residences, educational settings, on corporate campuses, and large venue events. 

Since 1991, Mr. Canaan has served as President of Trident Investigative Service, Inc. 

He is a former Washington Certified Police Officer and Narcotics Detector Dog Handler. Mr. Canaan is a certified instructor in related disciplines and maintains active membership in numerous professional associations. 

Mr. Canaan has a Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice from Washington State University. View Michael Canaan's Consulting Profile.

Emanuel Kapelsohn is an internationally recognized Firearms Training and Use of Force consultant who has instructed thousands of police and security officers, federal agents and others throughout the U.S. and abroad since 1980. He currently serves as a consultant to

• Manufacturers of Firearms and related products regarding design, human factors, safety and training issues; product literature including warnings and owner's manuals; development of user, instructor and armorer training programs, materials and training aids; marketing issues; and risk management
• Cities, States, and Governmental Entities regarding development, review and implementation of use of force policies, law enforcement training programs and issues, response to critical incidents, and risk management
• Law Enforcement and Security Agencies regarding selection of firearms and related equipment; design and implementation of training programs; safety surveys and safety protocols; qualification standards; development and review of written departmental firearms and use of force policies; and evaluation of specific use of force incidents and firearms accidents

A graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School, Mr. Kapelsohn is a practicing attorney in addition to his consulting work. As vice president of the Internat’l Assoc. of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors, he is a certified in force science and shooting scene reconstruction, and as an instructor in numerous law enforcement disciplines. 

Mr. Kapelsohn is a featured presenter at national and international instructor conferences. He has authored over 130 published articles, is Associate Editor of "Standards & Practices Guide for Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors," and principal author of "Firearms Training Standards for Law Enforcement Personnel," and "Guidelines for Simulation Training Safety."

View Emanuel Kapelsohn's Expert Witness Profile.

Roy G. Taylor is a current Chief of Police with over 40 years of experience in a wide-range of federal, state, local, and private criminal justice positions. He delivers comprehensive and intelligent Law Enforcement and Security Services to federal, state, and local governments, and is authorized to work on private or government properties including parks, any government owned buildings, land, public housing communities, hospitals, schools, or similar areas. Mr. Taylor's experience and expertise includes use of force and firearms instruction; recruiting, selection and assignment; employee supervision, evaluation and retention; curriculum development; policies and procedures design and implementation; canine utilization; budgeting; public relations; and emergency management. Current Positions:

• Chief of Police Blue Ridge Public Safety (2014)
• President/CEO Signal 88 Security of Charlotte (2012)
• President/CEO Capitol Special Patrol (2012)
• Chief of Police Capitol Special Police (2002)
• LT. Colonel – Provost Marshal, Army National Guard (2000)
• Antiterrorism / Emergency Management Branch Chief DoD (2007)
• Provost Marshal Joint Civil Support Task Force, Joint Chiefs of Staff (2014)

Specific Services:

Mobile Patrol Stationary Guard Alarm Response Residential and Commercial Business Checks ATM / Bank Escorts VIP / Management Escorts Investigations Arrest of Violators

Hostile Employee Terminations Emergency Response Planning Site Security Assessments Crime Prevention Seminars Anti-Terrorism Instruction Community Policing Programs In-Service Law Enforcement Training Public Relations

View Roy Taylor's Expert Witness Profile.

James Gannalo is a former NYPD Detective and Forensic Consultant with twenty-three years experience in Firearms Identification. He has assisted attorneys and law enforcement agencies with hundreds of firearms related criminal and civil casework in addition to training dozens of individuals in firearms operability and microscopic analysis of ballistics evidence. He has testified as an expert witness in six hundred trials since 1989.

Areas of Expertise:

Firearms Operability Examination

Microscopic Analysis of Ballistic Evidence

Shooting Incident Reconstruction

Laser Trajectory Analysis of Bullet Paths

Gunshot Residue Distance Determination

Operability and Microscopic Report Review and Evaluation

Trial Preparation and Presentation

Expert Witness Testimony

Witness Interviews and Witness Statement Evaluation

International Firearm Specialist Academy (IFSA) is a guild of award winning experts, former Federal Agents, Investigators, Police Officers, Medical Doctors, and an Attorney, in the Firearm and Forensics field. IFSA is the first and only company to offer a simplified step-by-step program that takes clients from present knowledge-level to a safe, accurate, and competent Certified Firearm Specialist.

Online Training Courses:

Gun Purchases & ATF Compliance Firearm Safety and Clearing Firearm Classification Firearm Nomenclature Firearm Markings Firearm Mechanical Operation Firearm Cycle of Operation

Ammunition Firearm Curios and Relics Machine Guns and Clandestine Conversions Short-barreled Shotgun / Rifles Destructive Devices Silencers Any Other Weapon

Principal, Daniel G. O'Kelly, has over 40 years of experience as a range instructor, a builder, and collector of Firearms and Ammunition.

Background Experience -Mr. O'Kelly served for 11 years as a Police Officer and for 23 years as a Special Agent for the Bureau of ATF where he was Lead Instructor of Firearm Technology at the ATF National Academy. Since his retirement from the ATF, he has served as a Senior Corporate Manager for the largest retailer of firearms in the world, co-developing a firearm technology and ATF compliance training program for that company, and is presently the Director of IFSA.

An Armorer for thirteen gun companies, including Beretta, Colt, DS Arms, FN, Glock, H&K, Kimber, Remington, Ruger, SIG, S&W, and Springfield Armory, Mr. O'Kelly has toured and done research at numerous firearm and ammunition factories and firearm reference collections across the U.S., Europe, and Africa. He regularly presents seminars worldwide to thousands of law enforcement personnel and licensed dealers, manufacturers, importers, and collectors nationwide, on firearm enforcement, ID & technology, and ammunition to law enforcement and the firearm industry.

View Daniel O'Kelly's Expert Witness Profile.

Francis T. "Jay" Jarvis has over 35 years of experience as a Forensic Scientist, specializing in Forensic Ballistics and Firearms Analysis. Mr. Jarvis has extensive experience in crime laboratory accreditation, having served as an accreditation assessor and as a member of the Board of Directors of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB), including one year as the Board Chair. 

Consulting Services - Mr. Jarvis offers Crime Lab Assistance services, providing short term backlog reduction on a contractual basis. Due to his extensive experience with laboratory accreditation, he can also provide interim assessments and independent re-analysis of past casework as part of a corrective action following non-conforming testing or when proficiency test results do not meet the expected result. Testing can be performed at his own facility or on-site utilizing client laboratory protocols. 

Mr. Jarvis has been invited to speak at seminars and training sessions around the country on topics related to forensic science. Mr. Jarvis has an avid interest in the history of forensic science. After conducting exhaustive research into the history and development of forensic science in the state of Georgia, Mr. Jarvis published his first book titled Georgia's Crime Doctor - The Story of Herman Jones and the First 20 Years of the Georgia Crime Laboratory. The book details the life of Dr. Herman Jones and his quest to establish a delivery system for forensic services and improve death investigation in Georgia. 

View Jay Jarvis' Expert Witness Profile.

Steven Howard provides a wide range of Consulting and Expert Witness Services to the legal professional in an ample variety of Firearms, Ammunition, Knives, Blades, Explosive Devices and many other related subjects. His Primary Area of Experience is Gunsmithing and Certified Public Armorer. Mr. Howard has a college degree in Gunsmithing and is a licensed attorney in the state of Michigan. He is a former Federal Agent with the U.S. Border Patrol and a former Federal Police Officer with the Department of Defense. He has 35 years of Gunsmithing experience and is a Certified Police Armorer. Services Include:

• All Standard Firearms
• Almost all Machine Guns
• Silencers
• Ammunition
• Testing
• Shooting Scene Reconstruction
• Crime Scene Reconstruction
• Spears
• Knives
• Explosive Devices

Richard Ernest is an award winning Forensic Scientist and Consultant who has over 31 years of Experience in Analytical Criminalistics and Forensic Ballistics. During his career he has worked literally thousands of forensic cases, and testified hundreds of times. Mr. Ernest is one of a very few private forensic ballistics consultants in the United States. He also owns and operates his own independent forensic firearms laboratory. He has worked cases all across the United States. His clients include law enforcement agencies, district attorney's offices, civil and criminal case lawyers, private individuals, journalists, writers, educators and students. 

Mr. Ernest has performed work on such notable cases as the Atlanta Murdered and Missing Children (Georgia vs. Wayne Williams), the Branch Davidian cases from Waco, the Texas Cadets Murder (Texas vs. David Graham and Dianne Zamora), the Miami SWAT case (USA vs. Acuna, et. al. - the Richard Brown case), and the Jayson Williams case (NJ vs. Jayson Williams). 

Areas of Expertise:

• Firearm Examination and Testing
• Bullet and Cartridge Case Examinations and Comparisons
• Ammunition Evaluation and Testing
• Shooting Scene Reconstructions
• Shooting Accident Reconstructions
• Shooting Scene Re-enactments
• Distance Determinations from Gunshot Wounds and Clothing
• Gunshot Residue Analysis (GSR) and GSR Consultation
• Tool Mark Examinations and Comparisons
• Gun Safety and Design Issues
• Serial Number Restorations
• Crime Scene Examinations and Consultations
• Footwear Identification
• Tire Track Identification