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!