Julie Werhnyak |
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Officer Julie Werhnyak has been a member of the Tempe Police Department, Arizona, for 18 years. Julie is currently assigned to the Training Bureau. She has received multiple commendations and departmental team awards for her actions in the course of her duties. She has been assigned to the Arizona Law Enforcement Academy as a Training Officer and a Defensive Tactics Instructor. Julie has served as a Field Training Officer and has worked in Tempe PD’s Professional Development Division, as a Recruiter and as a Training Officer. Prior to working for the City of Tempe, she was a Police Officer in Ohio, where she attended the Ohio State Highway Patrol Academy.
Officer Werhnyak is passionate about teaching and holds certifications in the following areas: Defensive Tactics, Force on Force, Impact Weapons, Firearms, Confrontational Simulations, High Risk Vehicle Stops and Crisis Negotiations. In addition, she has practiced and taught martial arts for over 30 years and is a two time member of the United States National Taekwondo Team.
Officer Werhnyak is a Subject Matter Expert in Physical Fitness for the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board, a certified Crew Member Self Defense Instructor for the Federal Air Marshals and Adjunct Faculty Member for Rio Salado College. She is the Chair of the Training and Mentoring Committee for the Women’s Initiative Network (Az POST), and a member of the department’s Defensive Tactics Review Committee and the Tempe 101 Network, which provides mentoring and support to new officers and conducts training on leadership development.
Officer Werhnyak’s presentation is entitled, “It’s What You Do Next That Matters.” During the course of Julie’s investigation of a Domestic Violence radio call, she was ambushed and stabbed in the neck with a large hunting knife by a suspect who had his girlfriend held captive in their home for days. All the while the girlfriend was in the apartment she was being tortured by the suspect. Julie will tell her riveting story and share at the symposium how her prior mental, physical and tactical training prepared her to survive this lethal encounter. Julie will also discuss lessons learned in the aftermath of the incident.
Officer Werhnyak is passionate about teaching and holds certifications in the following areas: Defensive Tactics, Force on Force, Impact Weapons, Firearms, Confrontational Simulations, High Risk Vehicle Stops and Crisis Negotiations. In addition, she has practiced and taught martial arts for over 30 years and is a two time member of the United States National Taekwondo Team.
Officer Werhnyak is a Subject Matter Expert in Physical Fitness for the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board, a certified Crew Member Self Defense Instructor for the Federal Air Marshals and Adjunct Faculty Member for Rio Salado College. She is the Chair of the Training and Mentoring Committee for the Women’s Initiative Network (Az POST), and a member of the department’s Defensive Tactics Review Committee and the Tempe 101 Network, which provides mentoring and support to new officers and conducts training on leadership development.
Officer Werhnyak’s presentation is entitled, “It’s What You Do Next That Matters.” During the course of Julie’s investigation of a Domestic Violence radio call, she was ambushed and stabbed in the neck with a large hunting knife by a suspect who had his girlfriend held captive in their home for days. All the while the girlfriend was in the apartment she was being tortured by the suspect. Julie will tell her riveting story and share at the symposium how her prior mental, physical and tactical training prepared her to survive this lethal encounter. Julie will also discuss lessons learned in the aftermath of the incident.