My name is David (DJ) Hass and I am the founder and owner of Empowerment Defense. I am a police officer in Northeastern Colorado. In this capacity, I have been a Use of Force instructor for the Police since 2019. I train officers on defensive tactics, less lethal tools (like taser, pepperball, and impact munitions), and de-escalation tactics. I have been a certified member of the Rocky Mountain Hostage Negotiators since 2018, and I teach officers to aim to limit hands-on encounters if possible, and if not, to navigate these situations to be controlled as quickly as possible with the lowest level of force possible. 

 

I also have years of experience as a youth and high school soccer coach, in which I developed a love for teaching and engaging in the community. I have seen many times in my line of work victims of violent encounters that  did not know how to react or were unprepared to defend themselves. I hope with the classes I offer through Empowerment Defense that everyone will be able to learn skills to defend themselves, engage in positive conversations, and be aware of what is going on around them.