Arms - Guns - Weapons Expert Witnesses: 13

Chief Chet Epperson (Ret.), MBA, has over 38 years of experience as a Law Enforcement / Police Professional for the Rockford Police Department in Rockford, Illinois. Chief Epperson spent 33 years as an active law enforcement officer and 10 of those years as Chief of Police. 

Chief Epperson maintains practical experience as a municipal police chief, implementing several police reforms in his police agency along with accountability processes. He was instrumental in reforming the Rockford Police Department by enhancing its relationship with the community and providing internal and external transparency. Chief Epperson assisted in the formulation of a multi-jurisdictional task force to investigate officer-involved police shootings, in-custody police deaths, and serious uses of force.

Litigation Support - Since 2016, Chief Epperson has been serving as a Police Practices consultant, providing court-appointed expertise in police agency Federal District Court Consent Decrees. He is an expert in applying Constitutional Standards, State Law, policy, and practice to police incidents. Having Instructed courses on police use of force, internal affairs, and discipline, Chief Epperson is qualified to opine on cases of this nature for both plaintiffs and defendants. His police and jail litigation services include thorough reporting, deposition, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

View AGR Police Practice Group's Consulting 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 Police 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 50 years of Gunsmithing experience and is a Certified Police Armorer.

Services Include:

• All Standard Firearms
• Firearms & Ammunition Failures
• Accidental Discharges
• Almost all Machine Guns
• Silencers
• Testing
• Shooting Scene Reconstruction
• Crime Scene Reconstruction
• Knives
• Explosive Devices
• Assistance in Trial Preparation
• Firearms Identification
• Gunshot Residue Interpretation & Cross Contamination

Francis T. "Jay" Jarvis has over 35 years of experience as a Forensic Scientist, specializing in Forensic Ballistics and Firearms Analysis.

During his career, Mr. Jarvis either performed casework in or was a supervisor for most of the forensic disciplines. Between 1982 and 1997, he wore a multitude of hats, performing casework in:

Following his retirement from the Georgia State Crime Lab, Jay Jarvis started Arma Forensics to provide personalized, timely and unbiased forensic services for clients. He has testified as an expert in Federal Court and the courts of Georgia and several other states over 750 times. Mr. Jarvis' specialty is firearms identification and ballistics but he also has casework experience in trace evidence. 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.

View Jay Jarvis' Consulting Profile.

Dr. Ron Martinelli, is a nationally renowned forensic criminologist and a federal/state courts qualified law enforcement and premises liability expert who is also a Certified Medical Investigator (physician's level) accredited by the MO State Medical Association. He is also a Certified Suicide Investigator. Dr. Martinelli directs the nation's only Forensic Death Investigations & Independent Review Team and specializes in officer-involved death cases, civilian self-defense shooting cases and premises liability/security cases. Dr. Martinelli is a forensic/law enforcement expert to the U.S. Department of Justice, several State Attorney Generals' Offices, numerous major municipalities and nationally prominent private law firms specializing in wrongful death, civil rights and premises liability. Dr. Martinelli is the prevailing expert in over 90% of his retained cases. He has saved defendants over $200M and earned plaintiffs over $60 million in jury verdicts and settlements since 2004. He is the media's go-to forensic expert for FOX News, One America News Network, CNN, HLN, Sky News, BBC, NPR, and the History & Discovery Channels. Dr. Martinelli is skilled in crime scene reconstruction, forensics, applied sciences and psycho-medical emergencies. His unique and extensive field experience, combined his academic and scientific credentials, excellent written reports and persuasive testimony, make him a very appealing expert to attorneys and juries alike.

Areas of Expertise:

• Arrests
• Search & Seizure
• Use of Force / Excessive Force - All Levels and Weaponry
• Officer Involved Shootings(OIS)
• In-Custody Deaths
• Criminal Investigations
• Police Practices, Training & Supervision
• Adult & Juvenile Corrections
• Law Enforcement Negligence
• Civilian Self-Defense, Security, Foreseeable Harm
• Insurance Cases
• COVID Detentions & Arrests

Evidence Solutions, Inc. (ESI) is a premier Data and Information Forensics company established in 1982 to help clients obtain, understand, and utilize all the data and information available to them.  We can analyze cell phones, computers, hard drives, EDRs, reconstruct accidents, provide trucking standard of care consulting, recover digital data, and provide expert witness testimony in our many areas of expertise. Our experts can help you understand what needs to be done, what should have been done, and what to do next.  Call us today so we can help you!

Litigation Support - Evidence Solutions' team of expert witnesses provide litigation services in digital forensics, auto and truck accidents, accident reconstruction, EDR forensics, sports injury, police standards and policies, CMV standards, Greek fraternity issues, product failure analysis, and medical record recovery and analysis.  No matter how complex the case, they can help you discover what happened and present it in a way that everyone can understand.

Areas of Expertise:

 Featured ESI Experts:

John Ross - Commercial Motor Vehicle - Heavy Vehicle - Truck Driving Standard of Care Expert Witness

John Ross has been driving commercial vehicles professionally since 1993 and boasts a blemish-free, no violations record. His experience includes owner/operator, safety director, and compliance director. He has significant experience in safely transporting hazardous materials (HAZMAT) including oil field operations and transportation. John also has significant experience in loading, unloading, and load securement. 

Expertise: Commercial Vehicles (18 Wheeler), Commercial Vehicle Safety Facilitator, Tractor-Trailer Inspection, CMV Operations, HAZMAT Handling, HAZMAT Driving, Tractor Maintenance, Trailer Maintenance, Professional Driving, Standard of Care Expert, Trailer Loading and Unloading Safety, Truck Driver Actions, Truck Driver Responsibilities, Driver Qualifications, Driver Training, Federal Trucking Regulations (FMCSRs), State Trucking Regulations, Driver Training Instructor, Double & Triple Trailer Driving, Trucking Industry Safety Standards, Loading and Unloading of Hazardous Liquid Safety, Oil Field Heavy Trucking Expertise, Electronic Logs / Electronic Logging

Expertise: General Aviation Repair, FAA UAS Pilot (Unmanned Aerial Systems), Commercial Single Engine/Instrument Rating, Commercial Multi-Engine / Instrument Rating, Land Instrument Training, International Aircraft Acquisition, Airplane Paint and Interior Refitting, Photo and Video Marketing of Aircraft, Aviation Maintenance and Services, Aircraft Sales, General Aviation Pilot Standard of Care, Ultralight Instructor, Maintenance Record Keeping Requirements, Person-Machine-Environment Interface

Daniel J. Brown - Law Enforcement Standard of Care Expert Witness

Daniel J. Brown served in the Law Enforcement profession for nearly 22 years, with close to 28 years of combined policing and military service. He is a seasoned professional with proven leadership skills. He helped establish a municipal police department from inception and used this knowledge to re-build two different fledgling police departments as a police chief. Mr. Brown is a decorated military veteran of two branches of service, holds a graduate-level education, and is currently pursuing his Ph.D. His experience in law enforcement ranges from municipal, county, tribal, and military. He is also a graduate of the 267th Session of the FBI National Academy.

Expertise: Community Policing, Preventing Violence through Community Policing, Major Crimes Investigation, Police Policy and Procedure, Increasing Department Productivity, Municipal, County, Tribal and Military Law Enforcement, Threat Assessment and Management, Enhancing Community Trust, Intelligence Led Policing, School Resource Officers Management, Arizona Peace Officers, Advanced Accident Investigations, Criminal Jurisdiction in Indian Country, Firearms Instruction

View Evidence Solutions, Inc,'s Consulting Profile.

Ideal Innovations, Inc. (I³) is recognized as an industry leader for biometric examination services, including expert fingerprint identification, latent print identification comparisons, data base system administration, information technologies, Automated Biometric Information System support and biometric data enrollment services.

Litigation Support - I³ strives to provide unbiased support for any request for comparison of facial images. They offer subject matter expertise in the area of consultation services for Facial Comparisons. Their Subject Matter Experts are key members of the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Sciences, the Facial Identification Scientific Working Group (FISWG), and the International Association for Identification (IAI) Facial Identification Subcommittee.

 I³ has supported requests for attorneys (both prosecution and defense), historical photograph examinations, and missing children. They also offer expert witness testimony services regarding comparisons conducted by I³ personnel.

Areas of Expertise:

Lora S. Sims, CTPE currently serves as the Director of the Facial Identification Training and a Biometrics SME. In this position, Ms. Sims coordinates all training classes as well as many other Face related activities within the company and also provides subject matter expertise on Biometrics for contracts and consulting/expert witness work. 

Ms. Sims is an IAI Certified Tenprint Examiner and is the current chair of both the Facial Identification Scientific Working Group (FISWG) and the Facial Identification Subcommittee of the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Sciences. She also sits on the IAI Facial Identification Subcommittee.

Ms. Sims joined Ideal Innovations, Inc. in 2008 as a Tenprint Examiner at the DoD DFBA, which transitioned into a Sr. Biometric Examiner comparing multiple biometrics (fingerprints, faces, and irises). In this position, she co-authored a training to competency program on facial identification & comparisons and is responsible for mentoring and training new employees through the tenprint and facial training program while integrating them into an operational environment

Steven Lee Johnson joined the I³ Advisory Board after 13 years of service to the company as Senior Vice President. Mr. Johnson is the current Chair of the Forensics Science Standards Board (FSSB) of the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC), a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) entity dedicated to strengthening the nation’s use of forensic science by facilitating the development of technically sound forensic science standards and by promoting the adoption of those standards by the forensic science community. 

Mr. Johnson served in the past as President and Chair of the IAI, secretary and chair of the IAI Forensic Art Certification Board, past chair of the IAI Science and Practices Committee, chair of the IAI Biometric Information Systems Committee and the chair of the IAI Facial Identification provisional sub-committee. In addition to his affiliation with the IAI, Mr. Johnson is an Associate Member of the International Association of Cranio-Facial Identifiers.

Mr. Johnson worked numerous forensic/biometric support contracts for the Department of Defense (DoD) and was actively involved in the development of DoD forensics and biometric standards. He is an International Association for Identification (IAI) Certified Latent Print Examiner (CLPE) and Forensic Artist. Prior to coming to I3, Steve served 20 years in the law enforcement community providing leadership and expertise in criminal investigation and forensic sciences at the municipal and state levels.

View Ideal Innovations, Inc.'s Consulting Profile.

Daniel G. O'Kelly has over 40 years of experience as a range instructor, a builder, and collector ofFirearms and Ammunition. Mr. O'Kelly is currently Director at the International Firearm Specialist Academy (IFSA), a guild of award winning experts, former Federal Agents, Investigators, Police Officers, Attorneys, and Medical Doctors, in the firearm and forensics field.

Background Experience - An Armorer for fourteen firearm manufacturers, 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 also served for years as a Compliance Manager for the world’s largest firearm retailer. He regularly presents seminars on firearm enforcement, ID & technology, and ammunition to law enforcement and the firearm industry. He has been a court-qualified expert witness since 1990 on firearms, ammunition, self-defense, use of force, ballistics, trade dress, etc… 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, where he co-wrote the firearm lesson plans.

Litigation Support - Daniel O'Kelly has provided litigation support as an Expert Firearm Witness in federal court since 1990. He has testified in numerous trials for over 35 years and has been lauded as an "unshakable witness". A qualified Subject Matter Expert with exceptional knowledge in firearms and investigative protocol, he is recognized as a “go to” person regarding technical firearm issues.

Areas of Expertise:

View Daniel O'Kelly's Consulting Profile.

Riki Ellison, one of the top Missile Defense Experts in the World, is Founder and Chairman of MDAA. He received his degree from the University of Southern California, including a Certificate in Defense and Strategic Studies. Mr. Ellison has more than twenty five years of experience as an advocate for the Deployment and Development of a Missile Defense System for missiles of all ranges. He has become an expert on the issue and is the Premier Spokesperson on the Nation’s Missile Defense Program. Mr. Ellison was hired by the United Missile Defense Company in 1997, and was responsible for marketing and the business development for the lead systems integrator of the National Missile Defense System which was a requirement of the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization.

During the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on 9/11, in 2001, Ellison founded and developed the business strategy that would later become Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance in conjunction with the United States withdrawal from the anti-ballistic missile treaty and the decision by the President of the United States to deploy missile defense systems.

Mr. Ellison is a former NFL Football Player and three-time Super Bowl Champion who is a seasoned Public Speaker on the topics of Missile Defense, Defense, Football and Motivation.

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

Dr. 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. Mr. Taylor specializes as an expert witness in Police Practices and Procedures and Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice. 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)

Litigation Support - Dr. Taylor is called upon to analyze cases from both defense and plaintiff perspectives. His services include case review, written reports, deposition, and trial testimony as needed. Areas of Expertise:

View Roy Taylor'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. A graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School, he is a practicing attorney in addition to his consulting work. 

As vice president of the Internat’l Assoc. of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors, Mr. Kapelsohn is a certified in force science and shooting scene reconstruction, and as an instructor in numerous law enforcement disciplines. He 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." 

Mr. Kapelsohn testifies as an expert witness in civil and criminal cases in state and federal courts nationwide, and has testified by invitation before both houses of Congress. 

Testimony on the Following Subjects:

View Emanuel Kapelsohn's Consulting Profile.

Adam Bercovici has almost 40 years of experience in the Police and Security field. Mr. Bercovici spent 30 of those years with the LAPD, 20 as a supervisor and manager. He is currently a retired LAPD lieutenant and former security company CEO.

Background: Mr. Bercovici's leadership assignments included the Criminal Investigation Section- Major Crimes Division-The Joint Terrorism Task Force, The FBI Violent Crime Task Force ( where he supervised the FBI Fugitive Task Force), The Special Investigation Section, and Homicide Special Section. 

Since 2012, Mr. Bercovici has worked as a licensed private investigator and subject matter expert and consultant in areas of Police Practices and Complex Police Investigations. His clients have included major law firms, insurance companies and corporations.

In the entertainment industry, Mr. Bercovici has been an on-air talent, producer, and script and story consultant.  He was the Co-Talent on The History Channel Series JFK Declassified-Tracking Oswald. He is currently the Technical Consultant for the ABC Network series Stumptown. His cases have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, and on the CBS Network.

Litigation Support: Adam Bercovici splits his work between defense and plaintiff. He has been retained by major civil rights firms, major municipalities and their legal counsel, plaintiff attorneys, city attorneys, and criminal defense attorneys. Mr. Bercovici accepts work based on the merits of the individual case.

Areas of Expertise: 

Michael J. Canaan, CPP CFLC, is a Premises Liability Expert Witness with over 45 years of experience in military and civil law enforcement, as well as corporate and private sector security and investigative positions.

Assignments have taken him from the Bering Sea to Southeast Alaska, across Canada and the United States, to countries in Central and South American in case venues ranging from educational settings, amphitheaters and stadiums, nightclubs and sports bars, ships, casinos, retail environments, food processing facilities, malls, and shopping centers.

Expert cases have involved evaluating failure to meet best practices, duty or standard of care in areas such as:

• Inadequate or negligent hiring, retention, training, supervision, staffing, and terminations
• Use of force or excessive force, threats, harassment, and intimidation
• Inadequate or non-non-existent policies and procedures, post orders
• Assaults, voyeurism, rape, sexual assault, robbery, shootings, stabbing, and homicide
• Security technology integration, improper or inadequate physical security infrastructure or systems installation
• Workplace violence

Mr. Canaan has worked over 35 expert cases, with testimony experience in both deposition and trial.

He is Board Certified in Security Management by the American Society for Industrial Security, International. ASIS is the largest professional security practitioner association with over 38,000 members worldwide, of which only 2200 have received this prestigious certification. Mr. Canaan is also a Certified Forensic Litigation Consultant with the Forensic Expert Witness Association.

View Michael Canaan's Consulting Profile.