GTD Scientific

10/12/2026

𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐔𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐲𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐧'𝐭?

Poor lighting and low quality video can make forensic analysis challenging. By combining frame averaging with machine vision, we can compare unclear footage against recreated body positions to identify the closest matches.

While it cannot tell us exactly what happened, this method offers a quantitative way to evaluate possible scenarios.

Watch how it works!

In this real case, we used machine vision to compare distances, tes...

10/05/2026

𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐭𝐨𝐧’𝐬 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐰 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐔𝐬 𝐀 𝐋𝐨𝐭 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐲.
In this corrections case, a man sustained a linear skull fracture and subdural hematoma after being moved into a wall. Newton’s First Law helps explain the severity.
As force accelerated the torso, the head initially lagged behind due to inertia. The neck and surrounding tissues were then loaded before the head accelerated toward the wall. Combined with impaired muscular coordination, this created mechanics that helped explain the severity of the resulting impact.
Watch how Newton’s First Law can help us understand what happened.

A selected clip from GTD Scientific's Science of Violence® course "...

09/30/2026

𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
Today, we honour the children who never returned home, the Survivors of residential schools, and the families and communities who continue to carry their impact.
A day to remember, reflect, and continue the work of reconciliation across Canada.
𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.

09/24/2026

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞!
Dr. Geoffrey Desmoulin was pleased to present The Science of Prone Restraint Deaths at the 2026 Force Science Conference in Texas.
Thank you to Force Science, the organizers, and everyone who attended and contributed to the conversation. It was a great opportunity to share the science and connect with professionals working to better understand these complex incidents.

09/14/2026

𝐀𝐧 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤

What might a restraint technique look like if it addressed several of the biomechanical risk factors we’ve been discussing?

Dr. Geoffrey Desmoulin recently reviewed Gracie University’s SafeWrap System from a biomechanical perspective, examining positioning, force, immobilization, and potential injury mechanisms.

The technique presents an interesting approach to managing several recognized prone restraint risk factors. While further independent research is warranted, we believe techniques like this deserve attention, testing, and continued scientific consideration.

https://gtdscientific.com/blog/safewrapreview/

Dr. Geoffrey Desmoulin, Ph.D., is a forensic biomechanical engineer...

09/08/2026

We’ve brought the science and practical lessons from our Prone Restraint series together in one poster.

It highlights the key factors that can increase risk during prone restraint, along with four simple strategies officers can use to help manage them.

Developed by GTD Scientific in collaboration with Chief James Gerace and the Town of Colonie Police Department.

𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐭. 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐭. 𝐏𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐬𝐞.

Full Resolution Available at : https://gtdscientific.com/blog/downloadable-prone-restraint-risk-factors-poster/

08/31/2026

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐈𝐬 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞

The prone position alone is generally well tolerated by healthy individuals. The concern grows when risk factors such as struggle, obesity, drugs, anxiety, downward force, immobilization, hard surfaces, and time begin to combine.

That’s the final takeaway from our Prone Restraint series: it’s the combination that matters.

Learn more in our free course, The Science & Experience of Prone Restraint Risk Mitigation, or our comprehensive paid course, The Science of Prone Restraint Deaths.

The final video in our series looks at why prone restraint risk mus...

08/24/2026

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲
GTD Scientific recently collaborated with Personal Safety Tactics by Sgt. Clive Milligan (ret.) with a video on Physics, Force and Mechanisms of Human Injury, featuring our team at GTD.
The video explores several topics including: How force and gravity produce injury; how biomechanics applies to both you and the person you encounter; and how understanding vulnerable anatomy can be applied to assist you in defending yourself in a violent encounter.
A practical look at the science of human injury and what it means when physical encounters happen in the real world.
Watch the full video at Personal Safety Tactics.

Insights from an interview with Dr. Geoff Desmoulin on how force and trauma affect the human body Understanding the science behind how injuries occur from force and gravity How biomechanical science applies to both you and the subject/suspect you encounter Demonstrations of vulnerable parts of the h...

08/17/2026

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧?

Normally, the diaphragm moves downward and the abdomen expands during inspiration. In the prone position, that expansion can be restricted, requiring the respiratory muscles to work harder.

For a healthy person at rest, this may be well tolerated. During prone restraint, however, other risk factors can add to that respiratory workload.

Learn more in our free course, The Science & Experience of Prone Restraint Risk Mitigation, or our comprehensive paid course, The Science of Prone Restraint Deaths.

Prone positioning changes the mechanics of breathing. See what happ...

08/10/2026

𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.

In a new Police1 article, Chief James Gerace and GTD Scientific’s Dr. Geoffrey Desmoulin connect the physiology and biomechanics of prone restraint with four simple operational rules.

The goal is simple: help officers recognize developing medical risk and respond with practical actions that are easy to remember when circumstances are anything but simple.

Four rules help officers reduce risks during prone restraint.