As injuries due to firearms are common in most areas of the United States, skill in the interpretation of these injuries is vitally important for the practitioner of death and injury investigation. This course will examine the forensic importance of gunshot injuries and will lead the investigator through proper identification and interpretation of gunshot injuries.

This course is approved for 2.5 hours of continuing education credits by Missouri POST and the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI)

Who Should Take This Course

  • Law Enforcement Patrol Officers/ Supervisors
  • Detectives and Investigators
  • Medicolegal Death Investigators
  • Coroners
  • Interested Students

Detailed Overview of this Course

As injuries due to firearms are common in most areas of the United States, skill in the interpretation of these injuries is vitally important for the practitioner of death and injury investigation.This course will examine the forensic importance of gunshot injuries and will lead the investigator through proper identification and interpretation of gunshot injuries. Areas covered are:

  • The characteristics of gunshot wounds
  • The distance of fire indicators
  • Wound assessment
  • Proper documentation such as photographing and forensic wound charting.

This course will also give the student an understanding of:

  • Bullet trajectory
  • How to determine the bullet trajectory
  • The importance of blood spatter and what it can tell you
  • As well as how to properly communicate scene exam findings to the Medical Examiner and other investigators

Understanding gunshot injuries are vital in conducting a proper investigation. Knowing what distance and range of fire indicators are will assist in determining witness truthfulness as well as helping to determine injury and death etiology.

This is an online video training and is designed to be interactive with students by random quizzes and a final exam. Student login and time are tracked per student to verify the time spent in the course if needed.   Testing cannot be done until the videos are watched.  Many of the videos have a unique symbol or picture that will appear prominently in the video and is part of the test questions, this will ensure the video has been watched. Certificates will only be available for print after the successful completion of the course material.

Each certificate will indicate that it was an online training and will note the approval control number and the CLEE hours given.