GTD Scientific

06/22/2026

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐃𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭?
Compression across the chest and abdomen can restrict the body’s ability to move air and circulate blood effectively. In prone positions, added pressure may interfere with the return of carbon dioxide carrying blood to the lungs, where that CO₂ must be expelled through breathing.
When combined with struggle or other physiological stressors, this restriction can significantly increase respiratory strain.

Compression of the chest and abdomen can increase respiratory strai...

06/15/2026

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐝𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭?

Certain drugs can significantly alter the body’s respiratory and metabolic demands. Stimulants like methamphetamine can increase workload and carbon dioxide production, while other substances may impair the body’s ability to manage rising CO₂ levels efficiently.
As these physiological stresses combine with struggle, restraint, or other risk factors, the overall risk can escalate rapidly.

Our course, The Science of Prone Restraint Deaths, explores how these interacting factors influence respiratory distress in real-world incidents.

Drugs can increase metabolic demand and interfere with the body’s a...

06/08/2026

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟑𝐃 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬?
Our latest publication compares a customizable 3D human model against real human measurements to quantify its performance across key anthropometric dimensions, including reach, span, and limb lengths.
The results demonstrate strong overall accuracy while also highlighting important characteristics that experts should understand when applying these models in forensic analysis.
As digital human models become increasingly common in reconstruction, research like this helps establish both their capabilities and their appropriate use.

Category: Publication Publication: Legal Medicine Authors: Marc-André Nolette, Szymon Claridad, Theodore E. Milner, Geoffrey T. Desmoulin Summary: This study examines how well stature scaled 3D human models made in Blender using […]

06/01/2026

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐈𝐬 𝐎𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐀 𝐌𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭?�
Breathing already requires muscular effort, but when body weight increases, so does the work needed to expand the lungs and move the chest wall. In prone positions, that demand can increase even further.�
Reduced lung compliance means more force is required to achieve the same breath, increasing respiratory workload during exertion or restraint.�
Our course, The Science of Prone Restraint Deaths, explores how obesity and other interacting risk factors can influence respiratory distress in real-world incidents.

Obesity can increase the work required to breathe, especially during exertion and prone restraint.

05/25/2026

𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞
This Memorial Day, we pause to recognize the service members who lost their lives and the families who continue to carry that loss.
Whatever the politics of a given era, the human cost of conflict remains deeply personal. Today is an opportunity for reflection, remembrance, and gratitude for those who never returned home.

05/18/2026

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐈𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐀𝐧 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐃𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭?
Because muscular effort produces a massive amount of carbon dioxide that the body must clear through breathing. As struggle continues, respiratory demand rises rapidly, especially when other risk factors are present.
Some agencies now treat continued struggle in restraints as a trigger for EMS response and medical reassessment.
Our course, The Science of Prone Restraint Deaths, explores how struggle, restraint, and physiology interact in real-world incidents.

Continued struggle can rapidly increase respiratory demand and medical risk during prone restraint.

05/11/2026

𝐀 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐲
In biomechanics, investigators look at three key questions: where the load was applied, the direction of the force, and the magnitude required to cause failure.
Unlike many fractures, spiral fractures are strongly associated with rotational loading, meaning the force may originate away from the fracture itself.
Watch how biomechanics uses location, direction, and magnitude to interpret spiral fractures.

Spiral fractures can help reveal where force was applied, its direction, and the magnitude involved.

05/04/2026

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐀𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐧'𝐭 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬? 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧.
In forensic biomechanics, abrasions can reveal how surfaces interacted with the body. They are caused by tangential movement under load, often involving rough or particulate surfaces sliding across the skin.
That interaction can help reconstruct direction, motion, and contact conditions.
Watch how abrasions can add critical context to an investigation.

What Abrasions Can Tell You

04/27/2026

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧?
Less than most people think. In some cases, only a few pounds of force are required to initiate pe*******on.
But that number doesn’t tell the whole story. The force builds as the object indents the surface, and factors like clothing, layers, and underlying structures can significantly change the peak force required.
Understanding that force profile helps investigators compare physical evidence with reported events and assess what is plausible.
Watch how pe*******on forces are interpreted in forensic analysis.

How Much Force Does It Take to Pe*****te Skin?

04/22/2026

Looking forward to speaking at the C.A.P.E. 2026 Conference in New Westminster, BC.

I’ll be presenting on injury considerations associated with external vest equipment and how biomechanical analysis can inform equipment evaluation, training, and operational decision making.

May 5–7, 2026
Inn at the Quay, New Westminster, BC

Join the conversation on policing the future and what’s important now.

Learn more: https://www.cape-educators.ca/2026-conference/



-acifp.bsky.social
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14719130/