Fireside Forensics

Unique Perspectives on Major Events with Brady Held, the Nation’s Preeminent Forensic Animator


Fireside Forensics 005: Sandstorm Car Crash

No car crash is the same, and this sandstorm collision is no exception. In this case, four-car crash experts had their own data sets to explain individual parts of the crash, but the whole picture was unclear to the jury.

In this episode, Brady walks through the data sets the defense counsel used to leverage their argument, and how the final accident reconstruction animations helped the defense favorably settle the case.


Fireside Forensics 004: Jacob Blake

The Jacob Blake shooting in 2020 gained significant national attention, and was fraught with ambiguity about what exactly happened at the time of the incident. Despite two cell phone videos taken by bystanders, there were significant questions about whether Jacob Blake was brandishing a knife as claimed by police officer Rusten Sheskey.

This episode takes a look at how video can be a powerful data set, but on its own can lack important context. Brady showcases how forensic animation and analysis can be used to give the viewer a more complete context of an event.


Fireside Forensics 003: Amir Locke

Body-worn cameras have been adopted nationwide by police departments. However, these cameras still only present one perspective, so analyzing the footage from a body camera can be challenging. In the February 2022 case of Amir Locke, an African American man was shot by a SWAT officer of the Minneapolis Police Department inside an apartment in Minneapolis, Minnesota after a no-knock search warrant was executed.

In this episode, Brady takes a look at the various tools available for presenting body-worn camera footage, and how they can bring clarity to these fast-paced and uncertain types of footage.


Fireside Forensics 002: Caitlyn Jenner Fatal Collision

In 2015, Caitlyn Jenner was involved in a fatal multiple-vehicle collision on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California. With inconsistent accounts of the crash, the Forensic Animation team created a car crash animation to help depict what actually happened, using the best available evidence.

The video ended up going viral, attracting nearly two million views, and resulting in Courtroom Animation’s CEO and Founder Brady Held being interviewed on multiple major news networks. In this episode, Brady Held reflects on the the video, talking about the impact animations can have on public perception, and shows how new technology creates more intensity and results in a more emotional response from the viewer.


Fireside Forensics 001: Bronx Apartment Fire

The 2022 Bronx Apartment fire was headline news due to being the third-worst residential fire in the United States in four decades. The building was in disrepair, with missing fire alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire doors that were not closing properly. These were major contributing factors to the dozens of unfortunate deaths and injuries that occurred.

How can forensic animation help with understanding and explaining a tragic incident like this? Brady Held, CEO and Founder of Courtroom Animation, breaks it all down in this episode of Fireside Forensics.