Pulaski Police Chief Shumate retires unexpectedly; Michael Parmalee named as Interim Police Chief
By WILLIAM PAINE
Patriot Publishing
Chief Sam Shumate announced his imminent retirement from the Town of Pulaski’s police force in a letter of resignation submitted to Town leadership in early May.
Shumate’s tenure as chief will end as of midnight Saturday, May 31, when Assistant Pulaski Police Chief Michael Parmalee will assume the role of Acting Police Chief of Pulaski.
According to Pulaski Town Manager Todd Day, notification of Shumate’s resignation came as a complete surprise. Shumate began his tenure as Police Chief on January 1, 2024, just weeks before Day began his duties as Pulaski Town Manager.
“I received a letter dated May 6 announcing his retirement,” said Day “I accepted his resignation letter … it wasn’t like I had a whole lot of choice.”
This portion of Chief Shumate’s letter to Council and the Town Manager gives some explanation for his retirement. It reads:
“Being a public servant for over 41 years, including 26 years in law enforcement and 15 years of military service, has taken a toll on me and my family, along with the living requirements and the stipulations that were put in place. With all of that and the changing circumstances of my family, I must put first. I am grateful and humbled for the opportunity to lead this department and serve the citizens of the Town of Pulaski.”
“It’s unfortunate … unfortunate but I’m sure he’s moving on with other objectives and I wish him the best, I really do,” said Day of Shumate’s decision.
In his letter of resignation, Shumate mentions “living requirements and stipulations,” which likely refers to a stipulation of his employment requiring the police chief to live within the Town of Pulaski. Under the terms of employment, which Shumate agreed to, the Pulaski Police Chief is given a year to establish a residence in Town.
Chief Shumate currently resides with his family in Riner, which is in Montgomery County.
Did Shumate ever mention the residency requirement to town leadership?
“It was always a topic of discussion,” said Day. “It was for me, too. You know, I just moved into Town. I asked council to extend his residency requirement by an additional three months and they did and he was well within that three-month period when he offered his resignation. So, was his resignation a direct reflection of any one thing? I have no idea. He just decided to retire.”
Though Day would not speculate on specific reasons related to Shumate’s surprise resignation, he said that with 26 years working for local government, Shumate will likely receive full retirement benefits under the Virginia Retirement System. Before coming to Pulaski, Shumate spent 24 years in the Radford University Police Department. Shumate served as Assistant Police Chief in the last 5 years of his RU tenure. In leaving his post as Pulaski Police Chief, Shumate is forgoing an annual salary of $113,132 plus benefits.
Parmalee has worked within the Pulaski police force for the past 23 years. He begins his tenure as Pulaski’s chief law enforcement officer on Saturday, June 1, 2025. The Town announced this change in leadership on Thursday, May 28.
Town Manager Day intends to form a committee specifically focused on hiring a new full time police chief. Day emphasized that he is open to looking within the department to find the next full-time police chief.
“We will be going through a process over the next 6 or 7 months,” said Day. “I’m in no hurry at all.”
It remains to be seen whether the next Police Chief of Pulaski will be obliged to move into the Town, as has been the case in the past. Michael Parmalee does not live in the Town of Pulaski.
According to Day, the Town Charter gives all hiring power to the Town Manager, but the council has the final say.
“According to the charter, living in town is not a requirement for any position, including mine,” said Day. “I’ll support council’s desires as far as a residency requirement. I’m negotiable either way.”
Departing Chief Shumate and Mayor Shannon Collins were unable to be reached for comment at press time.
May 29, 2025 @ 10:44 am
it makes sense that a person in charge of things in a town would and should need to live in the town because they would be more dedicated to getting things done for their own home town.. this should be a requirement! and now we have another chief of police not living in the town of pulaski.
May 29, 2025 @ 8:57 pm
Pulaski County taxes are 4 cents on the dollar higher than Montgomery, and its harder to find a place in town that isn’t in need of some community adjustments. Kids needing to change schools, that’s tough, and many other sacrifices. Can’t hardly blame the man for not uprooting his family when most folks wasn’t even aware of that town stipulation. Hate to lose a good Chief.
May 30, 2025 @ 7:44 am
I disagree with you lainy. Granted, they should live nearby for obvious reasons, but if a prospective new chief lived in Draper, or the Robinson Tract district of the county, that would be sufficiently close enough.
It’s also unfair to characterize one’s dedication in relation to where they live. If you are employed, do you live in the same town limits where you work? If you don’t, does it make you a less dedicated employee? What if all Volvo employees had to live in Dublin? Or all employees at Pulaski Community Hospital had to live in town limits? Wouldn’t work.
May 30, 2025 @ 9:15 am
Senior positions of direct community involvement and service are tied to that community themselves in many ways. Balancing the need to hire and retain the most qualified new chief with the more personal or emotionally-charged desire for the chief to reside within town limits is tough. Finding someone who wants the job to begin with is tough enough, then place such a demand upon his family too. I see pros and cons for each option, but the fact remains, look at the town…..would you want to live there? So much potential if the political climate would shift away from supporting dope addicts and degenerates towards good hard working Americans. Tough to have a functioning society where half the people are taxed so the other half can tweak down the road to the clinic for their free fix.
May 30, 2025 @ 2:49 pm
The truth is that he can’t afford the new water rates.
May 30, 2025 @ 5:40 pm
I don’t blame Chief Shumate for not wanting to move to Pulaski. There is nothing to do in that town. I wouldn’t take my child out of the school their in. There is no houses in the town to compare to the one he has in the county of Montgomery. Chief Shumate you did a great job, you have worked long enough in the law enforcement. Chief Shumates name is not Michael, it is Sam.