Ebert & Associates

Allegations of the use of excessive force make headlines across the country almost daily, and such discussions almost instantly turn political. Evaluating what happened in often split-second circumstances and determining where "fault" might lie, however, in a real sense in such cases focuses ultimately on questions of perception. What did or could an officer have seen, or might he not have seen, in the course of a deadly incident or violent encounter? Evaluating such questions requires precise information on the locations, details, and interrelations among all of the details at the scene - the officers and other participants, buildings, vehicles, lighting, vegetation and many others.

Ebert & Associates, Inc. utilizes digital surveying and mapping to record exact scene measurements, as well as photogrammetrically deriving, from investigative and other photos, video, maps and other data, information that is no longer the same as it was when incidents happened. Such data can be crucial in evaluating accusations and the testimony of participants and witnesses.

The July 2000 issue of GeoSpatial Solutions features, as its cover article, an article by Jim Ebert detailing the use of 3-dimensional mapping, imaging, modeling and visualization techniques in the analysis of an incident in which Albuquerque Police Department officers were accused of using excessive force in arresting a suspect.

Link to:
Ebert, Jim
2000 Shadowy Defense: 3D Modeling at the Scene of the Crime. Geospatioal Solutions,
Vol. 10, No. 7, pp 28-33. Advanstar Communications, Eugene, OR, July 2000