Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon died Thursday night after a monthlong fight with the coronavirus, prompting an outpouring of grief on social media.
Napoleon was with family when he died at Henry Ford Hospital, his daughter Tiffani Jackson told USA Today. He was 65.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, in a post on Twitter, said she was “heartbroken” about the news.
Napoleon was “one of our city’s greatest public servants,” Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said in a statement.
Napoleon was appointed Wayne County sheriff after the position became vacant in 2009.
He was elected to remain in the position in 2012 and was reelected every four years since, most recently in 2020.
He spent most of his career at the Detroit Police Department, starting in 1975, and worked his way up to police chief, assuming the position in 1998.
He retired from DPD in 2001 and became Wayne County assistant executive in 2004.
Napoleon announced he was positive for COVID-19 on Nov. 19. He had taken a test on Nov. 13 and tested negative, but then took another test on Nov. 17.
The next day, his symptoms had progressed, and he was admitted to the hospital.
Doctors placed Napoleon on a ventilator Nov. 27.
“I always enjoyed spending time with Benny,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider. “We worked together closely on law enforcement matters to protect the families and neighborhoods of Wayne County. Through those challenging times, Benny’s smile always brightened our days.”
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