RCIPS says GSR evidence is used to support other evidence
Royal Cayman Islands Police Service’s (RCIPS) Detective Superintendent Marlon Bodden said on Tuesday (16), the August memo written by former RCIPS Scientific Support Manager Martin Gaule concerning Gun Shot Residue (GSR), was simply a reminder for officers to comply with best practices when handling evidence.
“It is for this reason that our protocol is that suspects are not handled by firearms officers without adequate precaution being taken to guard against contamination. The other areas yielded low levels or trace amounts of GSR,” he stated.
The RCIPS officer also said it was not normal procedure for GSR evidence alone to be used to prove possession of a firearm. GSR evidence was generally used to support other evidence available such as DNA or eyewitness testimony.
“The results showed only two areas where high levels of GSR were present: on the hands of a firearms officer and outside one cell,” Mr. Bodden continued. “Such a finding would not be unexpected as the report itself acknowledges. It is for this reason that our protocol is that suspects are not handled by firearms officers without adequate precaution being taken to guard against contamination. The other areas yielded low levels or trace amounts of GSR.
See iNews Cayman story Oct 14, 2012 “RCIPS forensic report, made public late, could have major ramifications” at:
Why do police take samples from a shooting suspect’s hands and clothing?
Look at the cloud surrounding the hands of the shooter in the photograph. This cloud is comprised of gunpowder and primer residue. In gunshot residue tests, certain elements are sought to indicate that residue from a gunshot is present on the hands, gloves or shirt cuffs of the suspect. One of the components of pistol/rifle primers is barium and it turns up in these residue tests.
Gunshot residue can also be found on the clothing of the victim if he is close enough to the shooter. I have had cases where someone claimed to be shot from a distance but the gunshot residue deposited on his clothing indicated that the shot was fired from a distance of only a few feet or less. In one investigation I examined the clothing of an alleged victim who reported that he had been shot from a passing car. It isn’t rocket science – the powder residue was thickly disturbed right around the bullet hole in his jeans He had actually shot himself in the leg with an illegal handgun.
Also notice the shock waves. There are two sources – the muzzle of the barrel and the front of the revolver’s cylinder. The “nipple” at the left end of the shock wave is actually the bullet leaving the barrel.
For more on this go to the Signal 94 website at:
http://signal94.blogspot.com/2008/01/lesson-in-forensics.html
