Kelly Couch is a law enforcement expert witness specializing in police pursuits, emergency vehicle operations, emergency response incidents, patrol and traffic stop tactics, police practices, and investigative matters. A law enforcement practitioner, investigator, and instructor since 1989, he brings more than 30 years of experience to complex civil and criminal matters and has testified in federal court on emergency vehicle operations, traffic stop tactics, PIT maneuvers, and use of force.
Kelly served as a police officer with the City of Brentwood, California, from 2001 to 2012, including as a Field Training Officer and as a Major Crimes Unit detective investigating homicides, violent crimes, robberies, child and sexual abuse, and unattended deaths, and he operated emergency vehicles during responses and pursuits. From 2016 to 2022 he was a full-time tactical instructor and the lead Emergency Vehicle Operations Instructor for the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST), where he helped develop and revise Oregon’s emergency vehicle operations and pursuit-management curriculum and trained thousands of recruits and experienced officers. He has been retained by prominent law firms in cases involving police pursuits, emergency driving incidents, law enforcement collisions, PIT maneuvers, and intentional uses of force with patrol vehicles. A recent pursuit case in which Kelly provided opinions resulted in a multi-million-dollar verdict for the plaintiff.
Kelly continues to teach for DPSST as a part-time tactical and emergency vehicle operations instructor. He is a certified Oregon Law Enforcement Trainer, Emergency Vehicle Operator Instructor, SkidCar System Operator, and Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) Instructor, and holds California POST Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced Certificates. His pursuit instruction includes video review of pursuits and emergency responses, analysis of emergency-driving case law, and scenario-based training. He has written on emergency driving for PORAC Law Enforcement News, American Police Beat, Police1, and Officer.com, was a featured speaker on a national NLEOMF/NHTSA webinar in 2026, and is a member of ALERT International. Earlier in his career, he also worked as an investigator for the Oregon Department of Human Services and as a licensed private investigator.
At Titan, Kelly provides case review, deposition preparation, expert reports, and deposition and trial testimony in civil and criminal matters involving pursuits, emergency driving, Tactical Vehicle Interventions including PIT maneuvers, traffic stop tactics, inadequate investigations, improper arrests, patrol procedures, law enforcement training practices, and uses of force involving patrol vehicles. Clients and legal professionals value his calm demeanor, precise communication style, and ability to explain complex law enforcement procedures clearly.
Areas of focus
- Vehicle Pursuits & Pursuit Management
- Emergency Vehicle Operations & Collisions
- PIT & Tactical Vehicle Interventions
- Traffic Stop & Patrol Tactics
- Use of Force Involving Patrol Vehicles
- Inadequate Investigations & Improper Arrests
- Law Enforcement Training Practices
Direct contact
Phone: 925-864-5423
Email: Kelly@Code3RiskConsulting.com