ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses career and experiences of world-renowned forensic scientist, Dr. Douglas Lucas. The investigation of explosions had brought Douglas into regular contact with members of the Toronto Police "Bomb Squad." In May 1963, a military demolition expert was seriously injured while attempting to disarm a bomb in a mailbox in Montreal. Militant FLQ (Front de liberation du Quebec) separatists had been targeting mailboxes because they bore the symbol of a crown. Dr. Smith realized that such events might not be limited to Montreal and, with some urgency, assigned Douglas to work with Henderson and Cowan to develop equipment and procedures that would be more effective and safer than the traditional wire cutters. They learned that the Montreal PD and the Metropolitan Dade County Sheriff's Office in Miami had developed some items of interest. The Montreal PD had also been experimenting with the use of liquid nitrogen to quickly "freeze" batteries, thereby disabling electrically detonated improvised explosive devices.
