Wayne County Deputy's Death To Be Investigated By Detroit PD

WAYNE COUNTY, MI — A Wayne County Sheriff's deputy who died after being attacked by an inmate at Jail Division 2 in Detroit Wednesday night was described as a consummate professional by colleagues during a news conference Thursday.

Wayne County Executive Warren Evans said Corporal Bryant Searcy was an officer who always had a good record and a lot of friends. Evans became Wayne County Sheriff in 2003, a year after Searcy was hired.

"When you lose an officer in the line of duty, whether it's in a jail facility or somewhere else, it hits you hard," he said.

Searcy died after being attacked by an inmate around 10 p.m. Wednesday. Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon told reporters Thursday a struggle ensued between the officer and the inmate as Searcy was in the process of locking down inmates on the fourth floor of the jail.

"The jail is a dangerous place," an emotional Napoleon told reporters. "I tell people all the time that we have some of the most dangerous criminals in America in the Wayne County Jail. The officers understand the environment that they're working in."

Searcy was transported to Detroit Receiving Hospital, where he later died from his injuries. A veteran of 18 years, Searcy is survived by a wife and daughter.

Evans said grief counselors will be available for deputies.

The suspect — who was not identified by authorities — is a 28-year-old man who will be transferred to a county jail other than Wayne County, Napoleon said Thursday. Napoleon said the department had "sufficient footage" of the attack to ascertain what happened "very clearly."

The video has been turned over to the Detroit Police Department's Homicide Unit, which Napoleon said is handling the investigation.

An internal investigation is being done to review procedures and see if anything could have been done. Napoleon said the investigation will try to determine where other officers were at the time of the attack.

Napoleon suggested jail population size was not an issue.

"During the course of this pandemic, we have reduced the population of the jail because of the pandemic to about 850 people," he said. "That may not be preferable, but it's, I think, necessary at this time.

"The only people who remain in custody of the Wayne County Jail at this point are people that we know are very dangerous. They're too dangerous to be put on the streets of this community, which is why they are in the institution."

A memorial for Searcy has been created on the Officer Collin Rose Memorial Foundation Facebook page.