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Prayer vigil held for Wayne County sheriff on ventilator with COVID

Benny Napoleon expected to pull through, family says

DETROIT – Family and co-workers of Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon gathered Sunday to pray for him to fully recover from coronavirus.

Napoleon was put on a ventilator Friday night. His family said he made the decision to allow his body to heal.

Napoleon’s daughter, Tiffani Jackson, said she is more than appreciative of all the support from those who want to see him pull through.

“I feel the love just from just from seeing how many people showed up here today,” Jackson said. “It shows me that there is so much love and so much support in the community.”

Napoleon isn’t the only one in the family battling coronavirus.

“My grandmother has five children and of her five children, four of them have been affected by COVID-19,” Jackson said.

Thankfully, Napoleon, his brother and two sisters are on the road to recovery.

“When I spoke to him his spirits were well. He was standing on his faith,” Jackson said. “He believed that God could and that God would heal him.”

And as the numbers continue to rise, loved ones of the sheriff and colleagues alike want people to take the threat of COVID extremely seriously.

“He was a man that took every precaution possible and it still found him. We need to be very careful,” said Wayne County undersheriff Daniel Pfannes. “Follow the guidelines that are put in place to keep everybody safe. They’re not to control our lives but save our lives.”

Napoleon’s family wants to silence a rumor and said he is not losing the battle and they are expecting him to pull through.


Anyone who believes they might have coronavirus should follow the CDC guidelines. Michigan.gov has a list of resources available to those concerned about COVID-19.

More information on coronavirus (COVID-19):


About the Authors
Victor Williams headshot

Victor Williams joined Local 4 News in October of 2019 after working for WOIO in Cleveland, OH, WLOX News in Biloxi, MS, and WBBJ in Jackson, TN. Victor developed a love for journalism after realizing he was a great speaker and writer at an early age.

Dane Kelly headshot

Dane is a producer and media enthusiast. He previously worked freelance video production and writing jobs in Michigan, Georgia and Massachusetts. Dane graduated from the Specs Howard School of Media Arts.

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