Barrett Critical Incident Consulting
Independent Use of Force & Decision-Making Analysis
Independent Use of Force & Decision-Making Analysis
Barrett Critical Incident Consulting provides independent analysis of police use-of-force and critical incidents for attorneys handling criminal defense, municipal defense, and civil rights matters.
The focus of this work is not advocacy or outcome justification, but decision-making analysis grounded in evidence, timing, and established research. Each engagement is approached with the understanding that force decisions occur under rapidly evolving conditions, often within fractions of a second, and must be evaluated based on the information available at the time.
My analysis examines critical decision points rather than isolated outcomes. Emphasis is placed on timing, distance, movement, perception, and the information available to the officer at each moment force was used.
Video evidence is reviewed in proper context, accounting for human performance under stress and the limitations of video perspective. This approach helps identify which facts are central, which are peripheral, and how they will likely be scrutinized in litigation.
Use-of-force analysis
Body-worn camera and video review
Timing and decision-making evaluation
Human performance under stress
Litigation support and testimony
I am an active law-enforcement supervisor with 17 years of experience across patrol, detention operations, investigations, and major crimes supervision. My background includes the review and investigation of officer-involved shootings and other critical incidents involving force.
This experience informs my ability to analyze incidents from the perspective of the decision-maker, while maintaining professional independence and objectivity.
My role is to analyze, not to advocate.
I do not determine ultimate legal conclusions, opine on intent, or frame opinions to support a desired outcome. Instead, my work focuses on explaining how decisions unfolded in real time, identifying critical decision points, and evaluating those decisions within the context of known human performance limitations, training principles, and investigative standards.
This approach is designed to assist counsel in understanding what matters, when it matters, and why certain facts carry more weight than others in litigation.
I work with attorneys on both sides of the bar and maintain strict professional independence. Opinions are formed on a case-by-case basis and are grounded solely in the evidence reviewed and the application of accepted analytical principles.
This neutrality is essential to credibility and to providing analysis that withstands scrutiny in deposition and testimony.
I am most effective when engaged early, during case evaluation and strategy development, where independent analysis can clarify whether a use-of-force issue is central or peripheral, defensible or vulnerable.
I also provide litigation support throughout the life of a case, including report preparation, deposition support, and testimony when appropriate.