Police Practices and Use of Force Expert Witness

Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

Captain (Ret.) Spencer Fomby is the former director of the Boise Police Department Training, Education, and Development Division. 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. Captain (Ret.) Fomby has been 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, NFDD, 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. Captain (Ret.) Fomby 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. He coordinated the creation of the NTOA Public Order Response and Operation Standards, the NTOA Public Order Basic Command Certification Course, and the NTOA Public Order Grenadier Workshop. He is assigned to a National Institute of Justice Special Technical Committee on public order equipment. He is an SME in public order equipment and tactics for DHS First Responder Resource Group. He is an SME in active shooter response for the International Association of Chiefs of Police Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center (CRI-TAC). He is the author of Public Order Policing: A Professional's Guide to International Theories, Case Studies, and Best Practices: Use of Force. (2024) Captain (Ret.) Fomby was the 2011 Berkeley Police Department Officer of the Year. He was the team leader of the 2013 Urban Shield SWAT Competition first place team. He was also a Visiting Fellow in Police Science at the University of Derby, U.K. Captain (Ret.) Fomby earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Administration of Justice from Howard University. Captain (Ret.) Fomby works as a consultant and expert witness focused on police practices, use of force, officer-involved shootings, SWAT, and public order.