Two Independence police officials retire. One wasn't voluntary, attorney says
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Deputy Chiefs Jason Petersen and Michelle Sumstad have retired from the department.
- City officials will hire a full-time police chief before filling deputy positions.
- A 2025 lawsuit alleged the deputy chief promotions were predetermined.
The Independence Police Department’s two deputy chiefs have retired, leaving the department without its highest-ranking commanders beneath the chief as city officials continue searching for a permanent police chief.
Interim Police Chief Doug Brinkley wrote that both Deputy Chief Jason Petersen and Deputy Chief Michelle Sumstad have retired from the department, according to an email obtained by The Star.
“I am grateful for their years of service and leadership, and I want to thank them for their dedication to the City of Independence and our community,” Brinkley’s email said.
The email said that city officials have no immediate plans to fill the positions and instead, they plan to focus on the search for the next permanent police chief.
“Once selected, the next Chief will have the opportunity to evaluate the department’s leadership structure and help determine the appropriate command staff moving forward,” Brinkley’s email said.
The move was “not a voluntary retirement,” Sumstad’s attorney, Dennis Egan, told The Star. Petersen has not responded to requests for comment.
City officials confirmed the retirements on Tuesday in a statement that largely echoed Brinkley’s email but did not explain the circumstances surrounding the departures.
The department has not had a permanent police chief since Adam Dustman’s resignation in August 2025.
Petersen and Sumstad had both served lengthy careers with the department before their departure, and both were promoted to deputy chief under former chief Dustman.
A 2025 federal lawsuit later alleged the promotions were predetermined and that the selection process violated the city charter and personnel policies. That lawsuit was settled months later, according to court records, but a dollar amount was not specified in the documents.
Sumstad joined the Independence Police Department in 1995 and became the department’s first female deputy chief when she was promoted in 2023.
In 2024, the city honored her with the Susan Paxton Block Award for Distinguished Public Service, praising her three decades of service and leadership within the department.
Petersen also joined the department in 1995 and had previously served as president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 1. He also served as the acting chief of police following Dustman’s resignation until Brinkley was hired as interim chief in September 2025.
The departures come as the city continues to defend a series of lawsuits filed by current and former police employees alleging retaliation, age discrimination and misconduct among the department’s leadership.
Officer lawsuits and allegations
The retirements also come as both Petersen and Sumstad were named in a lawsuit filed earlier this year by Independence Police Capt. Billy Pope, who oversees the department’s Internal Affairs unit.
The lawsuit alleges city leaders interfered with Pope’s investigations into misconduct allegations involving the two deputy chiefs and former Chief Dustman, undermining internal accountability within the department.
Among the allegations, Pope said Petersen and Sumstad consumed alcohol while on duty before driving city-issued vehicles. The lawsuit also alleges Sumstad attempted to have a traffic citation fixed for a friend and improperly contacted a potential witness before Pope interviewed them as part of an internal affairs investigation.
Pope alleges he completed his investigation within 70 days, but city officials intentionally delayed issuing discipline until after the 90-day deadline required under Missouri’s Police Officer Bill of Rights. According to the lawsuit, the delay allowed Sumstad to successfully appeal her suspension on procedural grounds.
The lawsuit also alleges Petersen, while serving as acting chief, later overruled Pope’s findings in the ticket-fixing investigation, rewrote portions of the investigative summary and removed Pope from a subsequent investigation involving Sumstad.
The city has denied Pope’s allegations and previously said it intends to vigorously defend itself in court. The lawsuit remains pending.
This story was originally published June 30, 2026 at 1:50 PM.
