The repeat NCIS episode on 8/6/13 titled "Devil's Trifecta" begins with FBI agent Fornell getting shot and then shooting through the front windshield of a vehicle.
Bullet holes in the windshield glass are capable of providing information as to the sequence of the shots from the radial cracks generated by the damage. Radial cracks will not cross an existing radial crack so it's easy to track the crack and see which was the original and which cracks then stop the others in their path.
Bullet holes in the windshield glass are also capable of providing information as to which direction the bullet was traveling when the damage was created. A crater is created which shows direction as well as the side view of the glass gives you distinctive radial cracking. 'Radial cracks create right angles to the rear' due to the pressure and strain on the glass when the damage is created.
All is well and good so far but what they didn't account for is the potential for ricochet bullets once they hit the windshield. The slope of the windshield also may create a problem with firing your weapon into and through the glass. There have been cases of officers attempting to shoot through the windshield and end up injuring themselves by their own bullet ricochets.
Also it was a good thing that the bullet that hit Fornell actually hit the bullet proof vest. Why didn't the shooter go directly for the head shot? With a driver in a vehicle it would seem that the most visible and largest target would be the head of the driver.
Many years ago manufacturers designed a safety glass which is supposed to break into cubes when broken and damaged. In a scene situation, it is good to consider how to protect the glass from 'shattering' when it is moved or towed for processing. One good bump and all that great information is just a pile of cubes in the front seat and floorboard of the vehicle.
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