Three Huntsville Police Lieutenants Promoted to Captain Rank
Published on June 25, 2021
The Huntsville Police Department (HPD) promoted three Lieutenants with more than 60 years of combined law enforcement experience to the rank of Captain on Friday, June 25.
During a special ceremony at City Hall, Lieutenant Jon Ware was promoted to Captain of the newly formed Division of Professional Standards and Training, Lieutenant Jesse Sumlin was promoted to Captain of the North Precinct and Lieutenant Jerry King was promoted to Captain of the South Precinct.
The new Captains will serve as commanders in different areas of the department, leading patrol officers, investigators and the academy staff and working closely with the Deputy Chiefs and Chief of Police. The Division of Professional Standards and Training will focus on hiring the best qualified candidates through recruitment, training and compliance with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), written directives and the City of Huntsville’s Policies and Procedures.
“The teamwork of HPD’s Command Staff is critical to providing the professional service expected of a modern police department,” said Chief Mark McMurray. “These new Captains have a wealth of experience as well as unique ideas on how HPD can excel in community policing.”
Captain Jerry King will serve as Commander of the South Precinct. He started his career with HPD in 1996 after joining its ranger program as a teenager and being named Ranger of the Year. King spent his first 10 years with HPD working as a patrol officer. As a Sergeant, King served as a training supervisor at the Police Academy and was a patrol supervisor. He was previously a Shift Commander as a Lieutenant for the South Precinct, Deputy Commander of the STAC Unit, and most recently Commander of the North Alabama HIDTA Drug Task Force. King, who holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, has an extensive background in helping dismantle drug trafficking organizations and seizing illegal drugs.
Captain Jesse Sumlin, who will serve as Commander of the North Precinct, began his career with the department in 1995 as a patrol officer and member of the bike unit and honor guard. Prior to being selected as the Public Information Officer for the department, Sumlin was a Lieutenant at North Precinct. During his career with HPD, Sumlin also was a member of the United States Army Reserve (USAR) and was deployed twice, once as a Commander for Operation Iraqi Freedom and later as a Liaison Officer to the Iraqi government. He retired from USAR in 2019 at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Sumlin has a bachelor’s degree in marketing.
Captain Jon Ware will oversee Accreditation, Internal Affairs and the Police Academy. Ware joined the department in 2000 as a third-generation police officer and has worked in all three HPD precincts and served as a patrol supervisor on all three shifts. He spent six years as a K-9 officer, served as the Bomb Squad Sergeant and Lieutenant, and was the Community Resource Officer Sergeant. He currently serves as the Director of the Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) program and was one of the first certified mental health officers for the department. He has also worked as a police instructor and was most recently HPD’s Director of Internal Affairs. Ware, who earned a bachelor’s degree in business with a minor in management, has applied to the FBI National Academy.
King, Sumlin and Ware join Captains Jeffrey B. Rice Sr., Michael T. Johnson, Mike Izzo, Juan Joyner and Deputy Chiefs Kirk Giles, Scott Hudson, Charles Brooks and DeWayne McCarver as members of HPD’s Command Staff.
HPD has more than 700 sworn and civilian personnel who work to keep the community safe. With the continued growth of the department, the new Captains will help the divisions perform more efficiently and increase both accountability and collaboration of resources.
