Behind the Badge
Zachary Jezulin was destined for a career in law enforcement.
His brother, Nick, is a detective with the Westminster Police Department and his father, Michael, served with the Torrance Police Department for 30 years, retiring as a lieutenant.
In choosing his agency, Jezulin wanted to be active, combat crime, and make a difference in the community on a grassroots level. He also wanted to navigate his own journey.
“I knew already that I wanted to be a police officer,” Jezulin said. “And when it came to choosing, I wanted to make my own path rather than being a shadow at one of their agencies, whether it was my dad’s or my brother’s.”
Santa Ana Police Cpl. Zachary Jezulin is part of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Regional Training Academy Arrest Control Techniques Staff.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
After going on a ride-along with the Santa Ana Police Department, his mind was made up — he’d found the perfect fit.
Jezulin’s first assignment was patrol. He developed an interest in gang enforcement and was assigned to directed patrol, where the focus was on proactive enforcement and problem-oriented policing.
By the end of 2021, Jezulin became a gang detective, a role he held for almost three years, where he conducted investigations, surveillance, and suppression. In 2020, he became an instructor for the defensive tactics program at Santa Ana Police Department, and has been an operator on SWAT since 2021, recently earning the title of Assistant Team Leader.
In 2024, Jezulin was asked if he would be interested in training defensive tactics at the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) Regional Training Academy.
“I said, ‘Absolutely,’” Jezulin said. “That’s a dream.”
Santa Ana Police Cpl. Zachary Jezulin is introduced as one of the Arrest Control Techniques Staff during the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Regional Training Academy Class of 265 graduation ceremony in Tustin.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
In November 2024, Jezulin became the first officer from an outside agency to join the OCSD Regional Training Academy’s defensive tactics program.
Jezulin had cultivated a passion for jiu-jitsu years earlier, while at the OCSD Regional Training Academy. Initially, his training was out of necessity, after Jezulin experienced a mettle-testing activity called the “crucible.”
“It’s mentally taxing, extremely physically taxing, and then it involves grappling,” said Jezulin, now a corporal with the Santa Ana Police Department. “If you’ve never grappled before, it’s different. You’re using different muscles. It’s just physically exhausting. I had never trained before like that, so it was kind of a wake-up call that, hey, I need to train.”
After graduating from the academy, Jezulin began learning jiu-jitsu. At first his desire to practice jiu-jitsu was motivated by his commitment to become a better police officer.
“Then I fell in love with the sport,” he said. Jezulin recently earned his black belt and participates in multiple competitions annually, including the prestigious Master Worlds in Las Vegas.
Santa Ana Police Cpl. Zachary Jezulin is a member of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Regional Training Academy Arrest Control Techniques Staff.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
Before long, his love for competing morphed into a passion for teaching. At the academy, he trains recruits, conducts recertifications, and teaches personnel, including deputies, custody assistants, and community service officers.
His role involves both lecturing on policy and law updates and hands-on defensive tactics training. He says he enjoys teaching and finds it rewarding to see his students gain confidence and skills.
Jezulin has found a passion for bettering the next generation of Santa Ana police officers. He trains Santa Ana police officers in a state-of-the-art facility equipped with mats, heavy bags, speed bags, double-end bags, an Olympic sized boxing ring, and even a cage.
When he’s not working, he trains and competes in several high-level competitions within the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. He took home a bronze medal in his division at the 2024 Orange County International Open IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Jezulin has also competed in the 2024 World Masters IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship, the 2019 Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship, the 2018 Los Angeles BJJ Pro IBJJF Championship and the 2018 Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship.
“Jezulin’s proactive use-of-force experience from the streets to the mat room has benefited our department with his level of instruction,” said Santa Ana Police Sgt. Sal Lopez. “The Santa Ana PD Defensive Tactics Cadre trains defensive tactics instructors from agencies throughout the State of California. Jezulin plays a significant role in providing expert-level instruction.”
