Travis Norton
Travis Norton is a retired law enforcement professional with 25 years of service and a qualified expert in police practices and use of force. He served as a police lieutenant and SWAT commander and has extensive experience evaluating officer decision making under rapidly evolving and high risk conditions.
His expert work focuses on assessing objective reasonableness based on officer perspective, operational context, and the information reasonably available at the time force was used, rather than hindsight driven or outcome determinative analysis.
Travis previously served as the training division and professional standards unit lieutenant for a mid size California police agency, where he conducted use of force reviews, internal affairs investigations, and related administrative inquiries. He also managed firearms, less lethal, and defensive tactics training programs and oversaw the police academy and field training program, providing direct exposure to how officers are trained and evaluated following critical incidents.
He has more than 15 years of instructional experience in use of force, de escalation, less lethal weapons, tactical operations, leadership, and critical incident response. He currently instructs nationally for the National Tactical Officers Association and the California Association of Tactical Officers. Through work involving the National Tactical Officers Association, the National Policing Institute, and the California Association of Tactical Officers, Travis has participated in structured reviews of active shooter incidents and officer involved shootings in the United States and internationally, with emphasis on decision making, coordination, training doctrine, and operational execution.
Travis holds a doctorate in Policy, Planning, and Development from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in Emergency Services Administration from California State University Long Beach.
He provides expert witness services in police practices and use of force cases and has been qualified and admitted as an expert in court. He provides services for plaintiff, defense, and criminal matters and is available nationally.
- Crowd Control
- Deadly/Excessive Force
- Law Enforcement
- Police Procedures
- School Security
- Violent Crimes
- Workplace Violence
- Q: Please list your professional accreditations, degrees, licenses, and certificates granted:
- A: Doctor of Policy, Planning, and Development - University of Southern California
Master of Science - California State University at Long Beach - Emergency Services Administration (Outstanding Thesis Award)
Bachelor of Science - California State University at Stanislaus - Computer Information Systems
Cal OES & CSTI Certificates:
Emergency Management Specialist Certificate
Terrorism/Homeland Security Specialist Certificate
CATO Chemical Agents Instructor
CATO Less Lethal Instructor
Defensive Tactics Instructor
Force Science De-escalation Instructor
CA POST Instructor Development Institute Level 2 Core Course
ALERRT Exterior Response to Active Shooter Events – Train the Trainer - Q: Please list your affiliations or memberships in any professional and/or industry organizations:
- A: California Force Instructors Association
California Association of Tactical Officers (CATO)
National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA)
Honorary Lifetime Member, Arizona Tactical Officer’s Association
International Association of Chiefs of Police
American Society of Evidence Based PolicingPolicing Fellow, National Policing Institute
Policing Fellow, Future Policing Institute
- Q: Please list any teaching or speaking experience you have had, including subject matter:
- A: Instructor for the National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA) and California Association of Tactical Officers (CATO) in the following:
SWAT Team Leader
SWAT Team Commander
Crowd Control
Less Lethal use during Riots
Supervising Patrol Critical Incidents
Tactical Diagramming
Active Shooter Leadership
Crisis Decision Making
De-escalation
Use of Force/Deadly Force
Tactical Science
Guest Lecturer - University of Southern California - Police Practices & Use of Force (2020-Present)
Presentations:
US DOJ COPS Office Webinar - Strengthening Law Enforcement and Decision Making Skills During an Active Threat Incident - 2024
Ohio Tactical Operations and Public Safety Conference - 2024 (Critical Incident Leadership & Response to Civil Disorders)
North American Active Assailant Conference - 2023
São Paulo, Brazil Police Training Conference - 2023 (use of force and critical incident response)
Keynote Speaker, Louisiana Tactical Police Officers Association Annual Conference - 2022
NTOA Webinar - Less lethal use during Riots - 2021
NTOA Virtual Conference - Lessons Learned from Active Shooter Events & Protests and Riots - 2020
California Peace Officers Association Conference - Less Lethal and Impact Munitions update - 2020
NTOA Webinar - Managing a Dynamic Tactical Problem for the Patrol Supervisor - 2020
NTOA Conference - Active Shooter Lessons Learned - 2019
Arizona Tactical Officers Association SWAT Commander Symposium - Leading Tactical Teams during Novel Events - 2019
NTOA Conference - Tactical Diagramming - 2018
CATO Conference - Lessons Learned from Large Scale Critical Incidents - 2019
Incident Command Forum - 2017
National Tactical Officer Association Conference - Leading during the uncertainty of critical incidents - 2017
CATO Annual Conference - Hostage Recovery during Active Shooter Incidents - 2017
CATO Annual Conference - Planning for Large Scale Events - 2016 - 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: 25
- Q: For what area(s) of expertise have you been retained as an expert?
- A: Use of force, Use of Deadly Force, Police Practices, Crowd Control, Less Lethal. Have consulted on multiple other areas of expertise.
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the plaintiff?
- A: 40
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the defendant?
- A: 60
- Q: On how many occasions have you had your deposition taken?
- A: 6
- Q: When was the last time you had your deposition taken?
- A: 01-2026
- Q: On how many occasions have you been qualified by a court to give expert testimony?
- A: 2
- Q: On how many occasions have you testified as an expert in court or before an arbitrator?
- A: 2
- Q: For how many years have you worked with the legal industry as an expert?
- A: 4
- Q: What services do you offer? (E.g.: consulting, testing, reports, site inspections etc.)
- A: I provide expert witness services in police practices and use of force cases.
- Q: What is your hourly rate to consult with an attorney?
- A: $275.00
- Q: What is your hourly rate to review documents?
- A: $350.00
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide deposition testimony?
- A: $1400 half day. $3400 full day.
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide testimony at trial?
- A: $3500 flate rate
Available Upon Request