Charles J. Key, Sr.
Swoope, VA 24479
Key Associates is a group of highly competent men and women whose professional experience encompasses the entire spectrum of police related subjects. Some of their areas of expertise include: police training, practices, and policies; narcotics investigations; homicide investigation and training; police involved shooting investigation and training; domestic violence;police and civilian use of force; police canine training and operations; crowd control/civil disturbance; and SWAT training and operations.
Charles J. Key has nearly twenty-six years experience with the Baltimore Police Department, ascending to the rank of Lieutenant. During his career, Mr. Key was assigned as a detective to the Intelligence Unit, where he investigated police corruption, terrorist activities, and organized crime. He also served as a squad sergeant and Training Coordinator/Supervisor for the Special Weapons and Tactics Unit. In his last ten years, he served as the Commanding Officer of the Firearms Training Unit. In that capacity he analyzed over five hundred police involved shootings and responded to the scene of more than one hundred. Mr. Key wrote the department’s policy on use of lethal force and the resolution of sniper, barricade, and hostage situations. He has lectured at various universities and taught police use of force to thousands of federal, state, local police officers, and hundreds of civilians in numerous states. Since retiring from the Baltimore Police Department, Mr. Key has consulted in thousands of use of force incidents and other police practices cases, including programs for Fox News, NPR, and Dateline NBC, the Ruby Ridge Incident, the Amadou Diallo Case, and with the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division in numerous cases including the Hurricane Katrina police shootings in New Orleans.
- Crime Scene Analysis
- Deadly/Excessive Force
- Drug Enforcement
- Emergency Communications & 911
- Evidence Analysis & Preservation
- Firearms & Ballistics
- Informants
- Law Enforcement
- Police Procedures
- RICO/Racketeering
- Terrorism
- Weapons
- Q: Please list your professional accreditations, degrees, licenses, and certificates granted:
- A: B.S., Criminal Justice (Magna Cum Laude), University of Baltimore, 1977
Awarded silver star for bravery and various other commendations
Past state certification as an instructor in Use of Force, Officer Survival Techniques, Riot and Crowd Control, and Chemical Agents
Past National Rifle Association certification as a Distinguished Pistol Expert and Police Firearms Trainer
Past state certification as an instructor with: semi-automatic pistols; revolvers; shotguns; automatic weapons; bolt action and semi-automatic rifles; chemical agent delivery systems instructor
Past Smith and Wesson Firearms Training Academy as a firearms instructor
Past certification as Glock Armorer - Q: Please list your affiliations or memberships in any professional and/or industry organizations:
- A: Board of Directors, Harvard Associates in Police Science
- Q: Please list any teaching or speaking experience you have had, including subject matter:
- A: QRT Trainer and Coordinator
Trained several thousand police officers and over
600 attorneys in police use of force
Segments of three firearms instructor courses, one Internal Investigations School, one Police Involved Shooting School, the F.B.I. Defensive Skills School
Iíve taught thousands of police officers and hundreds of civilians the characteristics of projectiles in flight and the effects of projectiles striking the human anatomy
Use of Force Instructor at various universities and colleges, over 5000 hours teaching experience
Guest lecturer for F.B.I. and other federal agencies
Smith and Wesson Firearms Instructor School
Maryland Police Training Commission Firearms Instructor Course
Maryland Police Training Commission Instructor Development Program
Glock Firearms Instructor and Armorer School
F.B.I. Defensive Skills Instructor School
Served as Acting Commanding Officer for the Education and Training Division, the Central and Southern Districts - Q: Have any of your accreditations ever been investigated, suspended or removed? (if yes, explain)
- A: No
- Q: On how many occasions have you been retained as an expert?
- A: Approx. 2000
- Q: For what area(s) of expertise have you been retained as an expert?
- A: Use of Force; Police Training, Policies, and Procedures; Firearms, Crime Scene Analysis/Incident Reconstruction; Ballistics; Defensive Skills
Pepper Spray and Chemical Agents
Stressors in Conflicts Involving Firearms
Critical Incident Management
Hunter Safety - Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the plaintiff?
- A: 50%
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the defendant?
- A: 50%
- Q: On how many occasions have you had your deposition taken?
- A: Approx. 90
- Q: When was the last time you had your deposition taken?
- A: February 2014
- Q: On how many occasions have you been qualified by a court to give expert testimony?
- A: Approx. 100
- Q: On how many occasions have you testified as an expert in court or before an arbitrator?
- A: Approx. 100
- Q: For how many years have you worked with the legal industry as an expert?
- A: 21
- Q: What services do you offer? (E.g.: consulting, testing, reports, site inspections etc.)
- A: Consulting, Testimony, Testing, Crime Scene Analysis
- Q: What is your hourly rate to consult with an attorney?
- A: First consultation free
- Q: What is your hourly rate to review documents?
- A: $225.00/hr. $2250.00 retainer.
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide deposition testimony?
- A: $275.00/hr. (4 hour minimum)
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide testimony at trial?
- A: $250.00 (4 hour minimum)
- Q: Please list any fees other than those stated above (E.g.: travel expenses, copy fees, etc.)
- A: $150.00/hr. Travel. Per Diem $375.00/day (minimum)Depends on destination. All activities related to case charged as consulting fee.
References upon request.