DETROIT – The final farewell to Corporal Bryant Searcy was Friday at Third New Hope Baptist Church on Detroit’s west side.
Grieving loved ones walked past officers and deputies as they prepared to say goodbye to Searcy. His fellow deputies stood outside the church to pay their last respects.
“It’s a challenging time,” said Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon. “Not just for our agency, but for law enforcement across the country. When one of us falls, we all feel it.”
Napoleon said Searcy was a beloved member of the department.
“In my 46 year career, I’ve done this many times and it never gets easier no matter how many times it’s happened,” Napoleon said.
Searcy was on duty when he was killed at the Wayne County Jail. Police said he was checking jail cells when an inmate brutally attacked him while trying to escape.
An internal investigation has been launched into why Searcy and his partner were not together at the time.
“We’re going to take a close look at what transpired, what was done, what wasn’t done and what could’ve done differently to prevent this from happening,” Napoleon said.
Searcy was an 18 year veteran of law enforcement and leaves behind a wife and a daughter.
Napoleon said if it weren’t for the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of residents would have gathered to pay their respects.
READ: Hear from daughter of corporal who was killed by inmate at Wayne County Jail
More: Detroit crime news