Forensic Profiling / Identification Expert Witnesses: 5

Dr. John R. Black is a recognized expert with extensive experience in international, federal, and state courts on Lethal Force, Police Use of Force, Officer-Involved Shootings, and Civilian Self-Defense, blending forensic analysis with human-centered perspectives and systems thinking. Dr. Black employs a systems thinking approach that enables him to view incidents from multiple perspectives. He regularly speaks to Police leadership, investigators, lawyers, and organizations about how we think about the process of inquiry, our biases, and our sensemaking.

Litigation Support - Dr. Black is qualified as an expert witness in state and federal courts related to police practices, police use of force, decision-making, officer-involved shootings, police tactics, police training, incident command, and police / jail operations. He is also qualified with similar expertise for civilian self-defense and use of force events.

Expert in Use of Force & Lethal Force Incidents & Decision-Making

In cases involving force--lethal force, understanding decision-making is as critical as the facts themselves. Whether you are a defense attorney explaining your client’s actions or a prosecutor challenging them, you need an expert who integrates both events and decision-making processes. Dr. Black offers a unique approach, blending quantitative precision with qualitative insight into how individuals make sense of their world. he is a recognized expert with experience in international, federal, and state courts on lethal force, police use of force, officer-involved shootings, and civilian self-defense. He combines forensic analysis with human-centered perspectives, ensuring a balanced view that benefits both defense and prosecution.

Advanced Forensic Video and Qualitative Analysis

Video evidence often plays a pivotal role in determining the facts. Dr. Black is skilled in forensic video analysis, using Amped Five software to extract key details. What sets him apart is his ability to combine video analysis with qualitative thematic tools like Atlas.TI, understanding both what happened and how individuals interpreted their environment under stress.

Cognitive Interviewing and Human Performance Expertise

Dr. Black specializes in cognitive interviewing, exploring clients’ mindsets during critical moments leading up to the use of force. His approach bridges the quantitative analysis of human performance with qualitative insights into violent encounters, offering a comprehensive view of why actions were taken.

Military and Law Enforcement Expertise

With 30+ years in U.S. Army Special Forces and 23+ years in law enforcement, Dr. Black brings unmatched experience to each case. He provides practical insights grounded in real-world experience. His background ensures a comprehensive understanding of how policy, training, and decision-making intersect under pressure.

View Aragon National, Inc.'s Consulting Profile.

John S. Bukata is a seasoned, goal-oriented, and performance-driven Police Executive with over 42 years of demonstrated success in a broad range of settings, including law enforcement, city government, strategic planning, child dependency, and safety and security in university campus environment. 

Litigation Support - Mr. Bukata provides expert witness services to attorneys representing plaintiff and defense in both civil and criminal cases. As a Senior Law Enforcement Professional, FBI National Academy and FBI LEEDS graduate, a Chief of Police, Executive Lieutenant, Unit Commander, and Director of Safety and Security at a large national university, he offers unique and knowledgeable opinions on Police Practices and Procedures and Negligent Security issues.

Areas of Expertise:

About Bukata & Associates

Background Experience - Mr. Bukata has been a State of Florida sworn law enforcement officer since 1981 in a supervision or leadership/management role since 1992; retiring as a Chief of Police. He has conducted and managed complex investigations in a Federal, State and local environments during his tenure as the Deputy Director of the Broward Sheriff's Office Strategic Investigations Division, formally known as the Organized Crime Division. 

Mr. Bukata has authored, managed, and evaluated police policies and procedures for over 3 decades. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Organizational Management, is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Course, and the Southern Police Institute Command Officers Development Course. Mr. Bukata has also been a university professor at various universities and colleges since 2002.

View Bukata & Associates' Consulting Profile.

Over his 20-year career with the FBI, Jason T. Ghetian excelled in investigating Cyber-related Crimes. Jason founded the FBI’s Orange County Cyber Task Force, uniting cyber investigators from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. His investigative techniques have been disseminated across all 52 FBI Field Offices and other federal agencies. 

Areas of Expertise:

From 2021 until his retirement in December 2023, Jason led U.S. government investigations into the Pig Butchering Scam, the largest cryptocurrency scam globally, earning him a nomination for the Attorney General’s award from the Department of Justice’s National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET). Post-retirement, Jason appeared as an expert guest on the Dr. Phil show, which aired on April 24, 2024. 

Jason is a specialist in cryptocurrency valuation and Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs), including Binance, Coinbase, Crypto.com, Bybit, OKX, Kraken, KuCoin, Bitget, and Gate.io. He has extensive expertise in major cryptocurrency assets such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Tether (USDT), Binance Coin (BNB), USD Coin (USDC), and Tron (TRX), among others. Jason is adept at detecting and mitigating money laundering techniques by tracing through Decentralized Exchanges (DEXs) and Bridges. Additionally, he is skilled in using various Cryptocurrency Forensic Software Applications, including Chainalysis, TRM, and Qlue.

Jason holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point and a Master of Science in Cybersecurity Engineering from the University of Southern California. See CV for certifications.

George Schiro is a DNA Technical Leader - Forensic Scientist. His duties include incorporating the DNA Advisory Board (DAB) standards, accountability for the technical operations of the lab, conducting DNA analysis using the 13 STR core loci and Y STR in casework, DNA research, forensic science training and crime scene investigation.

Mr. Schiro has worked over 3500 cases and has qualified as an expert over 175 times in 31 Louisiana parish courts, Arkansas, California, Florida, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Texas, West Virginia, federal court, U.S. court-martial, and two Louisiana city courts. Has also consulted on cases in 29 states.

Qualified as an Expert in the Following Areas:

Arthur S. Chancellor is a Law Enforcement Expert with over 40 years of experience, including 30+ years as a Special Agent, supervisor, and Commander with the US Army Criminal Investigation Division. He is currently serving as an Instructor and Consultant at Second Look Training and Forensic Consulting, LLC.

Litigation Support - Mr. Chancellor has personally investigated or supervised several thousand felony investigations which occurred on a military base or in the civilian community. He has processed over 200 homicide death scenes and qualified multiple times as an expert witness in the area of Crime Scene Analysis and Crime Scene Examination. His mission is to provide an accurate evaluation of criminal investigations and crime scenes for prosecutors or defense to enable them to make informed decisions about their case. 

Mr. Chancellor's focus in the last 15 years is on death and sexual offenses. His specialty is Staged Crime Scenes also known as Staging which is a crime scene alteration made by an offender to misdirect a criminal investigation. His most recent consultations have centered on homicides staged to resemble some other event or in false sexual assaults.

Areas of Expertise:

Professional Organizations: 

• American Academy Forensic Science (AAFS) Fellow status
• Member International Homicide Investigators Association (IHIA)
• International Association for Identification (IAI)
• North Carolina Homicide Investigator Association (NCHIA)

 View Second Look Training and Forensic Consulting Profile.