Investigations
Shot in the Head
Open-source visual investigation conducted on behalf of Physicians for Human Rights. In this exercise I designed and executed a tracking scheme that uncovered a nationwide pattern of injuries to the head as a result of impacts from police less-lethal weapons in the weeks following the murder of George Floyd. Over 115 cases were found via multiple digital sources and were verified following the Berkeley Protocol on Digital Open Source Investigations.
Versions of this report were cited in USA Today, Kaiser Health News, Colorlines, and LAist.
Digital evidence of possible summary executions by Colombian police
A remote analysis of videos circulating on Whatsapp, Twitter, and Facebook showing apparent police misconduct in Colombia during the 2021 national protests.
Exploratory Analysis of Publicly Available Data on Attacks on Health in Colombia
Advised students in conducting a media review (along with data analysis) of recent attacks on health care workers and infrastructure in Colombia. Part of the Researching the Impacts of Attacks on Healthcare project through the University of Manchester.
Disparar a la cara
Statistical modeling done to demonstrate the effects of shotgun pellet dispersion on the probability of ocular injury from “less-lethal” buckshot. Results based on data available at the time suggest shots towards the upper part of the body were highly likely. Bilingual article; English version here.
¿Perdigones de goma nomás? Usando la física para caracterizar las municiones menos letales de Carabineros
Ballistic analysis of “less-lethal” buckshot and the risk of lethal or permanent injury. Using physics I show that the less-lethal munitions used by Chilean police may provoke serious injuries even when used according to protocol. Bilingual article; English version here.
Is the Chilean National Football Team killing us with their success?
Time series analysis of air pollution variation and international football matches. I show an uncanny correlation between matches of the Chilean national football team and catastrophic air pollution events in Santiago, and discuss the meteorological conditions that enable this phenomenon.
Villa Santa Lucía debris flow: deglacial hazards in a warming climate
“Armchair” investigation using remote sensing and historical imagery to evaluate the lethal Villa Santa Lucia landslide. I identify warning signs of material instability dating back over a decade.
How much was burned in the Norcal wildfires?
Demonstration of raster math and the normalized burn ratio to rapidly assess wildfire damage using publicly-available satellite imagery (Sentinel-2).