Roll of Honor
Incident
Sheriff Benny Napoleon died from complications as the result of contracting COVID-19 while on duty.
Sheriff Napoleon had served as sheriff for the Wayne County Sheriff's Office for 11 years and in law enforcement for 45 years, including a term as the chief of the Detroit Police Department.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Sheriff Benny N. Napoleon died on December 17, 2020 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 65.
He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 5 at Wayne County Sheriff's Department.
Beginning in early 2020, law enforcement officers across the country contracted COVID-19 in the course of their duties. While much of the nation sheltered at home, they kept answering calls, making arrests, transporting prisoners, and working face to face with the public. There was no distance to be had from the job.
Corrections officers were hit hardest. Confined facilities and large populations meant constant, close, unavoidable exposure.
Survivors
He was survived by his daughter, mother, and a brother who served as the chief of the Highland Park Police Department.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MI-0B7ABA0A- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Sheriff Napoleon gave the Wayne County Sheriff's Office 45 years.
Thank you for your service to the Detroit community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sheriff Napoleon.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sheriff Benny N. Napoleon is one of 1 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,756 officers honored here.
In MI, 23 of 718 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 3.2% of this state's fallen. That is 3.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Wayne County Sheriff's Department, 5 of 14 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 35.7% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Benny N. Napoleon's cause is highlighted.
How Benny N. Napoleon Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Benny N. Napoleon is highlighted in Dec.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
13 officers from Wayne County Sheriff's Department are honored on badge.nw.
