WTS is owned and operated by a 28-year veteran of law enforcement, 24-years as a SWAT-team operator /instructor, the recipient of four CA State Medals of Valor throughout his career, and was chosen as the State of California Correctional Officer of the Year for 2007.

Mr. John Popke spent 24 years as a SWAT-team operator and a certified Peace Officer Hostage Rescue & Entry Operations Training Instructor for the State of California During his broad career in SWAT, he held a wide variety of positions, including leader of sniper team, entry team, crisis response team, alpha team, and instructor at the central and northern CA SWAT academies. He also held the position of Senior Rangemaster for his agency for many, many years.

John is one of California’s top master weapons and tactics instructors & holds certifications from a wide variety of agencies and schools that are highly recognized throughout the U.S. These include FBI, CA Dept. of Justice, State of California Emergency Operations Unit, Barretta, Bureau of Security & Investigative Services, ASP, H & K, NRA, International Law Enforcement, and Utah Bureau of Criminal I.D. just to name a few. John is also a prior Sr. Master Martial Arts Instructor. From tactical firearms courses to complex entry operations for SWAT, his years of experience and methods of teaching cutting edge tactics takes his courses to a level rarely seen. John's extensive knowledge of criminals, gangs, & their current tactics provides rare insight to his training methods, and recently includes Anti-Terrorism training. John is dedicated to providing the highest quality professional training available whether for law enforcement agencies or private citizens, large seminars or private lessons, basic or advanced, with an emphasis on friendly hands-on instruction that is simple, effective, affordable, reality-based, motivating, empowering, and most importantly, FUN!