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Public viewings begin Monday in Detroit for Sheriff Benny Napoleon

By FOX 2 Staff
Published  December 28, 2020 6:54am EST
Wayne County
FOX 2 Detroit

(FOX 2) - The first of two public viewings is happening Monday for Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon, who died earlier this month at the age of 65 after contracting COVID-19. 

A second viewing will be held on Tuesday before a private funeral takes place later this week. 

Public viewings for Sheriff Benny Napoleon begin this week in Detroit

Two public viewings will be held Dec. 28 and Dec. 29 for Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon, who died earlier this month at the age of 65 after contracting COVID-19.

The first public viewing is Monday, December 28 at Swanson Funeral home from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Swanson Funeral home is located at 806 East Grand Boulevard in Detroit. 

Then on Tuesday, December 29, at Greater Grace Temple, from 10 a.m to 6 p.m. Greater Grace Temple is located at 23500 West Seven Mile in Detroit. 

A face mask and social distancing are required at both events. 

Later in the week, a private funeral will be held. It will be livestreamed. 

Napoleon had been placed on a ventilator in late November after contracting COVID-19. He died Dec. 17. 

Napoleon's brother Hilton Napoleon, the Highland Park police chief, also contracted COVID-19. He was hospitalized for 71 days before recovering. Benny is one of five siblings - four of whom have had the coronavirus.

Wayne County Sheriffs have been hit hard by the coronavirus, with three deputies and a commander all dying since March and more than 200 deputies testing positive since then. 

A lifelong resident of the city, Napoleon was a fixture in Detroit and in law enforcement. He entered the police academy in 1975 and rose through the ranks to eventually become police chief under Mayor Dennis Archer from 1998 to 2001. In 2004 he was assistant Wayne County executive and has been sheriff since 2009.