ABSTRACT
The proper documentation of shooting incidents begins with a comprehensive photographic portrayal of the overall crime scene. Walking into a crime scene and focusing on the fired bullets and cartridge cases without fully establishing the location with overall photographs will only confuse those who view the images. For example, just because a shooting incident occurs inside a business or residence does not mean the exterior of that property does not need to be fully photographed. The value of any single crime scene photograph is directly related to the ability of the viewer to place it into context with the crime scene or overall location itself. Therefore, the first step in the documentation of any shooting incident is to completely document the overall crime scene with a 360° view of the location. The photographic compositions should also incorporate any viewpoints or perspectives that parties to the shooting or witnesses would have had of the incident. Recording these points of view of a crime scene may become important during the investigation or trial because it could help corroborate or refute an eyewitness’ statement. Furthermore, the photographer should be sure to capture enough overall or establishing photographs that show the entire scene from multiple angles and directions. The photographer should also remember the little things that help establish a crime scene’s location, such as street signs, business signs, and individual reference points that were used to record measurements for any scene diagrams that were drawn. As a never ending theme, the value of completeness is not outweighed by the cost of film (or storage media).
