Internal Affairs investigator sues Independence, alleges retaliation over probe
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Officer Jason Steward filed a May 11 lawsuit claiming retaliation after his probe.
- The lawsuit alleges a captain pressured Steward and later filed an IA complaint against.
- Steward was placed on a Giglio list and the lawsuit says his investigation remains open.
An Internal Affairs investigator for the Independence Police Department claims in a lawsuit that city officials retaliated against him after he investigated a fellow employee accused of using a fake license plate.
The lawsuit, filed May 11 in Jackson County Circuit Court, is the seventh complaint filed so far in 2026 relating to internal issues in the department.
The complaint, filed on behalf of Officer Jason Steward, alleges that another officer admitted to purchasing a fake Missouri license plate for his vehicle. The captain who hired the officer later filed a human resources complaint alleging the officer had been mistreated.
Steward’s attorney, David Lunceford, did not respond to requests for comment. City officials said they were aware of the lawsuit.
“As these are active legal matters, we are unable to comment on specific allegations,” said Madeline Rincon, Independence spokesperson.
Human resources later determined that the matter should be handled by the Police Department’s internal affairs unit, and Steward was assigned to investigate, according to the lawsuit.
After he concluded that the officer engaged in misconduct and was not threatened or mistreated, Steward’s report was given to the chain of command, including the captain who was responsible for disciplining the officer.
The lawsuit alleges the captain later confronted Steward and attempted to pressure him into taking the matter to human resources in an effort to influence the investigation. A major ultimately intervened and de-escalated the confrontation.
The captain later recommended no discipline for the officer accused of purchasing the fake license plate.
Steward filed a complaint with human resources on June 30, alleging a hostile work environment. The captain then filed a complaint with internal affairs against Steward 15 days later, alleging dishonesty and bias.
“The Internal Affairs complaint against Plaintiff was false and was made in retaliation for Plaintiff’s protected activity,” the complaint reads. “The complaint against Plaintiff was handled in a manner inconsistent with standard Internal Affairs practices, including referral to the City Attorney’s Office and the use of an outside investigative firm.”
Although investigators found Steward had not engaged in misconduct, the lawsuit alleges the city continued acting on the complaint in retaliation. Steward was later placed on a Giglio list, a designation that can affect an officer’s credibility in court and future law enforcement employment. The lawsuit claims the complaint against Steward is still open.
“The investigation into Plaintiff remains open, and Defendant’s conduct constitutes a continuing course of retaliation,” the filing said. “Defendant’s conduct has created a hostile and retaliatory work environment. Plaintiff has not previously been accused of misconduct and has maintained a record of honesty and integrity throughout his employment.”
New lawsuit follows string of complaints
Steward’s lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal complaints filed by current and former employees of the Independence Police Department alleging retaliation, favoritism and dysfunction within department leadership.
Earlier lawsuits filed this year by Major Mike Onka, Capt. Billy Pope and Officer Kelley Rupert-Marriott also accused the city and police leadership of retaliatory investigations and interference in internal disciplinary matters.
Pope’s lawsuit alleged Internal Affairs files disappeared and accused department leaders of obstructing investigations tied to former police chief Adam Dustman, who allegedly crashed a city-owned vehicle while drunk.
Onka’s lawsuit alleged that city officials concealed information surrounding Dustman’s departure and retaliated against employees connected to the dispute. Rupert-Marriott separately alleged she faced retaliatory treatment after raising concerns within the department.
