Self Defense Expert Witnesses

Police Practices & Procedures, Law Enf & Criminal Justice - use of force, police use of force, law enforcement use of force, self defense, arrest and control, police excessive force, excessive force, defensive tactics, martial arts, strangulation, choke hold, jiu jitsu, fight or flight, stress response, officer involved shooting, police shooting, OIS, taser

Dr. Chuck J. Rylant has 25 years of industry experience and is a Federal and State Court qualified expert witness in use-of-force, de-escalation, self-defense, strangulation, memory, fight or flight, decision making, and other human performance factors. He has a Doctor of Clinical Psychology–dissertation: Decisions Under Pressure: Psychological and Physiological Aspects of Police Use of Force. Dr. Rylant is a retired police officer/detective, S.W.A.T. member, and P.O.S.T. certified department firearms, baton, chemical agents, use of force, and arrest and control (ARCON) trainer. Dr. Rylant was an instructor at a California police academy for 15 years where he taught arrest and control (ARCON), use-of-force, and de-escalation, and he is also a Certified Force Science Analyst and Advanced Force Science Specialist. Dr. Rylant is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt instructor for law enforcement and civilians, as well as author of Shots Fired: The Psychology Behind Officer Involved ...

Firearms & Ballistics - firearms, use of force, taser, force on force training, gun safety, concealed carry, gun holsters, conducted energy weapons, firearm human factors, firearms training, gun range safety, self defense, gun range accidents, negligent discharges, accidental firearm discharges, firearm accident

Brings 40+ years of experience in safely working with firearms and 14+ years of professional teaching experience to his role as an educator and consultant while working with students in firearm-based skills, concealed carry, use of force concepts, active killer response training and prevention, conducted energy weapons (Taser), security-related concepts, and instructor development certifications. Has worked with thousands of students teaching across more than 20 states. Carries numerous instructor-level or master instructor-level certifications for defensive shooting with handguns and carbines, range operations and safety, range/shoot house operations, scenario-based force-on-force training, Taser conducted-energy weapons, active shooter response, and is certified as a Realistic De-Escalation instructor and Force Science Analyst through the Force Science Institute. Program graduate of the Law of Self Defense Instructor Program. Skilled in public speaking and simplifying compl...

Police Practices & Procedures, Video - Police Use-of-Force,Sensemaking,Decision-making,Jail Operations,Police Training, Patrol Operations,Police negotiations,Crowd Control,Self-Defense, Officer-Involved Shooting,Intelligence,Internal Affairs Leadership,Police Mental Health Response, De-escalation,Incident Command,Defensive Tactics,Policy

Recognized expert witness for physical use of force (UoF) in international, federal, and state courts. Focus areas include police use of force, police practices, proper investigation of UoF events (including deadly force), related human performance factors, police policy, police training, civilian self-defense, excessive force, and officer-involved shootings. Certified video analyst (InputAce) with a focus on the use of video in understanding and analyzing UoF events. Also qualified with similar expertise for civilian self-defense and use of force events. My doctoral research area focuses on exploring the link between visualizing intelligence, giving it meaning (sensemaking), critical thinking, insight generation, and decision-making. I apply the gained understandings from my research alongside human performance factors and video analysis to evaluate physical UoF events within their context and environment. Consult in areas and problems involving systems thinking, Sensemaking, com...

Firearms & Ballistics, Police Practices & Procedures - self-defense, gun accidents, hunting accidents, firearms training, shooting scene reconstruction, holsters, shooting ranges, use of force, use of force policy, involuntary muscular contraction, defensive tactics, weapon retention, pepper spray, Taser, impact weapons, knives, edged weapons

Expert witness since 1984 in civil and criminal cases in state and federal courts nationwide. Practicing attorney. Has been certified as firearms instructor by FBI, NRA, several states and other training authorities. Certified instructor in defensive tactics, baton, Taser, weapon retention, less lethal impact munitions, pepper spray. Certified Force Science Analyst, Advanced Specialist in Force Science, Executive Protection Specialist, and in counter-terrorist and defensive driving. Taught "Police Use of Force" as Adjunct Instructor at Indiana University, Department of Criminal Justice. Served as instructor at two police academies. Presenter at national and international conferences of law enforcement instructors. Has trained and certified firearms instructors and armorers for major law enforcement agencies. Armed, sworn reserve deputy sheriff for over 20 years. Member, Board of Directors, International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors ("IALEFI...

Police Practices & Procedures, Law Enf & Criminal Justice - criminal investigation, crime scene analysis, crime scene reconstruction, use of force, death scene, homicide, murder, shootings, self defense, USCCA, NRA, rape, sex crimes, sex offense, sexual assault, violent crime, robbery, police practices, composite sketch

Dr. Ken Lang is a retired 25-year law enforcement veteran with extensive criminal investigation experience who holds a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice and teaches various criminal justice and investigative courses. Lang’s career began with the Havre de Grace Police Department in 1989. He served as a patrol officer for two years until he became employed by the Baltimore County Police Department (BCoPD) in 1991, where he served for the next 23 years. Lang’s police career centered on criminal investigations, dedicating 15 years to investigating violent crimes of rapes, robberies, and murders, and 5 years investigating property crimes. In addition to his primary detective assignment, Lang also served as a certified Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commission adjunct police instructor at the BCoPD Academy for 16 years, teaching recruit classes and in-service training sessions. Courses taught included Sex Crimes Investigations, Investigative Resources, Basic Investigator’s Courses...