Tear Gas Expert Witnesses: 7

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.

Harry C. McCann, MPA, is recognized as an expert in Policy, Procedure, and Training by the Federal Courts in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Northern District of Georgia, the Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania and has provided consultation, expert testimony or reports to law firms, police departments, correctional institutions, and municipalities throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maine, Maryland, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Arizona,New Mexico and Delaware in the areas of the use of force, in custody death claims, special response teams, arrest procedures, Tasers, training, PREA, classification and legal issues. Background Experience - Throughout his law enforcement career, Mr. McCann has been responsible for the writing and implementation of policy and procedure relating to the Use of Force, Emergency Procedures, Prison Rape Elimination Act, Special Response Team protocols, Staff Training, Patrol Procedures, and Legal Issues. As the prior Director of Law Enforcement / Police Training in Bucks County (PA), the fourth largest county in Pennsylvania, he has been responsible for developing, coordinating, and implementation training programs to approximately 800 police officers representing 42 police departments.

Litigation Support - With 37 years of law enforcement expertise in the federal, state and county level, Harry McCann offers a unique perspective of knowledge and expertise in all facets of training, policy, procedure, and case review. Mr. McCann has continually demonstrated his ability to evaluate the issues and present himself in a clear, concise, thorough, and professional manner. His preparation has been acknowledged among his peers and has been honed by 35 years of college teaching and staff development instruction. He offers guidance and expert reports in matters dealing with:

• Correctional / Police Practices and Procedures
• Police, Correctional, Court Document Interpretation
• Use of Force
• Training Issues and Standards
• DUI Checkpoint Operations
• Wrongful Imprisonment and False Arrest
• Emergency Procedures
• PREA
• Correctional classification
• Police/Correctional Standards

Capt. Kenneth M. Sanders has over 30 years of experience in the field of Law Enforcement. The last 15 years, Capt. Sanders served as the Director of one of the largest Police Academies in Louisiana, training approximately 10,000 people per year. Upon retirement, he was the Senior Master Instructor for the state, and responsible for all curriculum development and all instructor development for the entire state.

Internal Auditor / Assessor / Consultant: At the request of law enforcement agencies, jails, and prisons, Capt. Sanders conducts internal assessments for compliance with applicable law, policy, and standards. He also writes and edits new lesson plans, revises existing lesson plans, and works within state agencies as the final editor of legal training for law enforcement academies and officers.

Litigation Support - A Subject Matter Expert, Capt. Sanders has provided expert witness services to private law firms, law firms retained by law enforcement agencies and officers, the FBI, the US Attorney, and the Department of Justice. Representing both plaintiff and defendant, he has been used for Grand Jury Investigations, written opinions, oral opinions, and courtroom testimony. 

Capt. Sanders has been retained in US District Court for cases related to Traditional Law Enforcement, Jails, and Correctional Facilities. Areas of Expertise:

Robert J. Coventry, Jr., CPP, CHS (III), has over 25 years of experience in the Security, Protection, and investigations field. He has been the Chief Operations Officer, (COO) of Starside Security and Investigation, Inc. (Starside) since 1991. Mr. Coventry is Board Certified in Security Management and a Certified Protection Professional, (CPP) with the American Society for Industrial Security, International. He is a Licensed Private Investigator, holds a Private Patrol Operator License in Arizona and California, and is a Private Investigator Security Manager in Florida. He is also a California Registered Locksmith.

Starside, under Mr. Coventry, has provided Armed and Unarmed Detention Security Officers and Transportation Officers for numerous Governmental agencies and provides security for the financial, entertainment and other commercial industries. He has nationwide and international security consultant experience in Durban South Africa prior to the World Cup, and numerous times in Mexico, France, United Kingdom, Canada, and the Cayman Islands. He has provided executive protection as well as armed and unarmed uniformed security and patrol services in both the public and private sectors. Recognized for his expertise, Mr. Coventry sits on Advisory Boards for California State University, Fullerton's Private Investigation and Security Program and Grossmont College Adult Corrections Academy.

Litigation Support - Mr. Coventry has been serving as a Security / Use of Force expert witness throughout his career. His services are available to attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant and include consulting, investigations, case Review, arbitration, and testimony.

Areas of Expertise:

View Robert Coventry's Consulting Profile.

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: