Contact: [email protected]
Captain (Ret.) Spencer Fomby is a former commander for public order, SWAT, explosive ordinance disposal, and training. He was previously employed by the Berkeley Police Department for 20 years. He has held primary assignments in patrol, narcotics, and crime prevention. He was assigned to SWAT for 18 years as an entry team member, team leader, and tactical commander. He is a certified instructor in the following disciplines: firearms (pistol, shotgun, and carbine), weaponless defense, impact weapons, Peacekeeper RCB, Gracie Survival Tactics Level 1, active shooter response, ALICE, chemical agents, flash bangs, sting balls, 40 mm launcher, FN 303, shoot house and tactical de-escalation. He has created two CA POST approved de-escalation courses. He was also a tactical instructor for the National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA), where he taught Police Counter Ambush and Advanced Response Police Officer (ARPO).
Captain (Ret.) Fomby was the lead Berkeley Police Department public order instructor. He was responsible for equipment selection, tactical training, less-lethal weapon selection, chemical agent selection and deployment, and mission planning. He has been recognized as a subject matter expert in police tactics and works on several national projects. He is the section chair for the National Tactical Officers Association Public Order Section and a member of the NTOA Public Order Standard Committee. He is assigned to a National Institute of Justice Special Technical Committee on crowd control equipment. He is an SME in crowd control equipment and tactics for DHS First Responder Resource Group.
Captain (Ret.) Fomby earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Administration of Justice from Howard University and now works as a consultant and expert witness focused on police practices, use of force, officer-involved shootings, and public order.
Chapter in Anthology:
Public Order Policing: Use of Force
