Bio–Darrell L. Ross, Ph. D.
CJ Professor and Dept. Head Emeritus
dl-ross@att.net
CJ Professor and Dept. Head Emeritus
dl-ross@att.net
Dr. Ross served as the Chair of the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice at Valdosta State
University and the Director for the Center for Applied Social Sciences from 2010-2024 (retired). From 2006 to
2010, he was the Director of The School of Law Enforcement & Justice Administration at Western Illinois
University, Macomb, Illinois. From 1992 to 2006 Dr. Ross taught criminal justice courses at East Carolina
University, Greenville, NC, the Director of the Forensic Sciences program, and Chair of the department from 1999
to 2002. He was awarded the Scholar of the year award by the ECU CJ Department in 2006, the Distinguished
Scholar/Professor Award by the ECU Chancellor in April 2004 and in 1997 he was awarded the “Outstanding
Teaching Award,” by the NC CJ Educators Association. From 1985 to 1992 he worked for the Criminal Justice
Institute at Ferris State University, Big Rapids, MI. While at CJI he conducted research and provided training for
police and correctional agencies, taught the mechanics of subject control tactics, arrest procedures, human
performance factors, crisis intervention and responding to the mentally ill, and physical conditioning in the police
academy, as a certified MCOLES instructor, and he also taught academic courses. He was a 12-year veteran (1973
to 1985) with the MI Department of Corrections, working as an officer, cell block Unit Manager, a probation officer,
and academy instructor. As Unit Mgr., he supervised 16 officers, 2 assistants, 1 psychiatrist, 2 psychologists, and
500 mentally ill prisoners.
Dr. Ross received his Ph.D. from Michigan State University in 1992 and his Dissertation was on Graham v Connor:
“Citizen Resistance During Police Arrest.” He has completed the Executive Management and Leadership Institute at
the Kennedy School Government, Harvard University (1998). He has published over 120 articles, 5 books, and 20
book chapters/monographs. Routledge published his book on Civil Liability in Criminal Justice (8th ed., 2023) and
published he and Dr. Vilke’s book on Investigation Guidelines: Officer Involved Shootings, Arrest-Related &
Custodial Deaths, in 2018. In 2006, Humana Press published he and Dr. Chan’s book on Sudden Deaths In-Custody.
He has published articles in: Intl. Forensics and Criminology; Modern Pathology; Amer. J of Forensic Med. Path.;
Intl. J Legal Med.; FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin; The GA Police Chief; Police & Security News; Police
Marksman; Journal of Law Enforcement Executive Forum, Criminal Law Bulletin, International Police Practices;
Police Quarterly; Criminal Justice Review; ILEETA Journal; PoliceOne and CorrectionsOne.
Dr. Ross has performed research, published, and instructed on: administrative and supervisor liability issues; use of
force and arrest-related death investigations; critical incident analysis and investigations; in-custody death
investigations; police response to the naked subject; patterns of nonfatal injuries to police during violent
confrontations; outcomes of prone restraint and the use of CEWs; prone restraint and weight force; the impact of
stress, officer perception, decision-making & human performance during lethal force encounters; failure to train and
use of force policy liability issues; liability issues and arrest-related death investigations; risk factors of excited
delirium and restraint asphyxia deaths in police custody; custodial deaths in jails; risk management analysis of
police and detention agencies; liability issues for emergency response teams; prisoner assaults on correction officers; and detainee deaths in jails. His research has been presented nationally, at Oxford University (England), in Canada, in Australia, in Hong Kong, and in Taiwan. In 2013, he was inducted into the Michigan State University’s School of Criminal Justice as a distinguished alumnus. He is an Advisory Board member and an Instructor for Compliant Technologies, a GA Post certified instructor, has been a certified TASER Instructor, and a BolaWrap instructor. As a PPCT Advisory Board member, he has certified thousands of personnel as instructor/instructor trainers in subject arrest and control tactics nationally and internationally.
Dr. Ross has made over 800 national/international conference and training presentations on these and other subjects.vDr. Ross served as an expert for DOJ/NIJ’s scientific technology working group on Excited Delirium and Arrest-Related Deaths. He is on the teaching faculty and is a Certified Legal Specialist (CLS) for the American for
Effective Law Enforcement (AELE) and teaches for the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths (IPICD).
Dr. Ross consults and opines on agency use of force investigations, OIS investigations, arrest-related death
investigations, detainee in custody death investigations, and alleged officer misconduct.
Since 1988 Dr. Ross has been retained as an expert witness on these topics, providing testimony in 30 states on
behalf of police, correctional, and private security agencies, in civil and criminal cases, and in arbitration hearings.
He has provided testimony in state and federal courts.
University and the Director for the Center for Applied Social Sciences from 2010-2024 (retired). From 2006 to
2010, he was the Director of The School of Law Enforcement & Justice Administration at Western Illinois
University, Macomb, Illinois. From 1992 to 2006 Dr. Ross taught criminal justice courses at East Carolina
University, Greenville, NC, the Director of the Forensic Sciences program, and Chair of the department from 1999
to 2002. He was awarded the Scholar of the year award by the ECU CJ Department in 2006, the Distinguished
Scholar/Professor Award by the ECU Chancellor in April 2004 and in 1997 he was awarded the “Outstanding
Teaching Award,” by the NC CJ Educators Association. From 1985 to 1992 he worked for the Criminal Justice
Institute at Ferris State University, Big Rapids, MI. While at CJI he conducted research and provided training for
police and correctional agencies, taught the mechanics of subject control tactics, arrest procedures, human
performance factors, crisis intervention and responding to the mentally ill, and physical conditioning in the police
academy, as a certified MCOLES instructor, and he also taught academic courses. He was a 12-year veteran (1973
to 1985) with the MI Department of Corrections, working as an officer, cell block Unit Manager, a probation officer,
and academy instructor. As Unit Mgr., he supervised 16 officers, 2 assistants, 1 psychiatrist, 2 psychologists, and
500 mentally ill prisoners.
Dr. Ross received his Ph.D. from Michigan State University in 1992 and his Dissertation was on Graham v Connor:
“Citizen Resistance During Police Arrest.” He has completed the Executive Management and Leadership Institute at
the Kennedy School Government, Harvard University (1998). He has published over 120 articles, 5 books, and 20
book chapters/monographs. Routledge published his book on Civil Liability in Criminal Justice (8th ed., 2023) and
published he and Dr. Vilke’s book on Investigation Guidelines: Officer Involved Shootings, Arrest-Related &
Custodial Deaths, in 2018. In 2006, Humana Press published he and Dr. Chan’s book on Sudden Deaths In-Custody.
He has published articles in: Intl. Forensics and Criminology; Modern Pathology; Amer. J of Forensic Med. Path.;
Intl. J Legal Med.; FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin; The GA Police Chief; Police & Security News; Police
Marksman; Journal of Law Enforcement Executive Forum, Criminal Law Bulletin, International Police Practices;
Police Quarterly; Criminal Justice Review; ILEETA Journal; PoliceOne and CorrectionsOne.
Dr. Ross has performed research, published, and instructed on: administrative and supervisor liability issues; use of
force and arrest-related death investigations; critical incident analysis and investigations; in-custody death
investigations; police response to the naked subject; patterns of nonfatal injuries to police during violent
confrontations; outcomes of prone restraint and the use of CEWs; prone restraint and weight force; the impact of
stress, officer perception, decision-making & human performance during lethal force encounters; failure to train and
use of force policy liability issues; liability issues and arrest-related death investigations; risk factors of excited
delirium and restraint asphyxia deaths in police custody; custodial deaths in jails; risk management analysis of
police and detention agencies; liability issues for emergency response teams; prisoner assaults on correction officers; and detainee deaths in jails. His research has been presented nationally, at Oxford University (England), in Canada, in Australia, in Hong Kong, and in Taiwan. In 2013, he was inducted into the Michigan State University’s School of Criminal Justice as a distinguished alumnus. He is an Advisory Board member and an Instructor for Compliant Technologies, a GA Post certified instructor, has been a certified TASER Instructor, and a BolaWrap instructor. As a PPCT Advisory Board member, he has certified thousands of personnel as instructor/instructor trainers in subject arrest and control tactics nationally and internationally.
Dr. Ross has made over 800 national/international conference and training presentations on these and other subjects.vDr. Ross served as an expert for DOJ/NIJ’s scientific technology working group on Excited Delirium and Arrest-Related Deaths. He is on the teaching faculty and is a Certified Legal Specialist (CLS) for the American for
Effective Law Enforcement (AELE) and teaches for the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths (IPICD).
Dr. Ross consults and opines on agency use of force investigations, OIS investigations, arrest-related death
investigations, detainee in custody death investigations, and alleged officer misconduct.
Since 1988 Dr. Ross has been retained as an expert witness on these topics, providing testimony in 30 states on
behalf of police, correctional, and private security agencies, in civil and criminal cases, and in arbitration hearings.
He has provided testimony in state and federal courts.