WAYNE County Sheriff Benny Napoleon died at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, on Thursday (December 17, 2020).
But how did the dedicated police chief, 65, and father-of-one die?
Who was Benny Napoleon?
Born in 1955, Benny Napoleon was born to Harry Napoleon, a minister and mother Betty Napoleon.
He was one of seven children.
He attended Cass Technical High School before receiving degrees from the University of Detroit and the Detroit College of Law.
He then joined the Detroit Police Department in 1975 and began rising through the ranks.
Napoleon served as police chief from 1998 to 2001, when he retired from the department.
Napoleon also unsuccessfully ran for Detroit mayor in 2013.
How did Benny Napoleon die?
The Wayne County sheriff, was with family when he died at the Henry Ford Hospital on Thursday (December 17, 2020) evening.
He had been hospitalized in Detroit for weeks with complications from coronavirus.
He was placed on a ventilator after testing positive in November.
When was he the Wayne County sheriff?
The Democrat became the assistant executive for Wayne County in 2004, before being appointed as county sheriff in 2009.
He was re-elected to the position three time in 2012, 2016 and 2020.
Was Benny Napoleon married?
No, at the time of his death, Benny Napoleon was not married.
The Sheriff was previously married to Lisa Cunningham but they divorced.
Napoleon is survived by his daughter, Tiffani Jackson, his 84-year-old mother and four of his siblings, according to the Detroit Free Press.
