Ballistics+and+Crime+Scenes-BC

Why is ballistics pertinent to Crime Scene Investigations?

Because of the nature of recent crimes and the progression of weapons by which people commit these crimes ballistics has become increasingly important in police investigations. Many crimes are committed with various firearms and there are a number of ways to break down what exactly happes in the crime by understanding how guns work. As you have been already informed ballistics is broken into four subsets: Internal, Transition, External and Terminal Ballistics.

Internal Ballistics- This fascet of ballistics is one of the most usefull areas when concerning the crime. Every bullet and gun has a special pattern when fired. The impressions on the caseing left by the barrel can help CSI's determine what gun was used down to the exact gun. This, obviously, is usefull because records of guns are kept and this can lead to the finding of the guns owner and probable shooter.

Transition Ballistics- This aspect is usefull in recreating the Crime Scene. By understanding how bullets move through the air it shows where the shooter was standing and what the bullet may have encountered. This allows investigators to hone in on a specific area and further investigate that area. This can help in determining whether something was a suicide or a murder based on where the bullet enters and the path that it takes.

External Ballistics- This is very simular to Transition Ballistics in the sense that it details a bullets path through the air.

Terminal Ballistics- Terminal Ballistics specifically underlines the enteraction of a bullet with its target. Bullets can become mangled when hitting targets and this allows investigators to see what all the bullet went through before hitting desired target. ie. through glass, doors, other people. The bullet can still be studied and its identity can still be determined because of the understanding of what happens to bullets upon impact.

Ballistics is very relevent to a CSI's work because of all of these reasons. The recreation of the crime scene can sometimes hinge upon ones understanding of the weapon. In the episode where there is the big shootout between the gang and the cops in the street, ballistics played a huge role in exonerating the cops from shooting the teenager.