April 2020 Blues Vol 36 No 4

Michigan Sheriff's
Commander Dies
of COVID-19
Cmdr. Donafay Collins
served with the Wayne
County Sheriff's Office
for almost 30 years
Cmdr. Donafay Collins, an almost 30-year veteran of the
Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, died due to the coronavirus.
(Photo/WCSO)
DETROIT — A veteran commander
at the Wayne County
Sheriff’s Office died Wednesday
due to the coronavirus, the
Sheriff’s Office announced.
Cmdr. Donafay Collins, 63, was
with the Sheriff’s Office almost
30 years, the department said
in a statement. He is survived by
his wife and four children.
The Sheriff’s Office reported
that 18 staffers or contractors
have tested positive for the
coronavirus as of Wednesday
night. On Sunday night that
number was six.
Collins worked at the Division
2 jail downtown, the old jail,
which is considered the toughest
facility in the system due to
the high-risk inmates it handles.
Collins had been hospitalized
for weeks. In addition to the
coronavirus, he had “some underlying
medical issues,” Napoleon
said.
“He looked very healthy,”
Napoleon said. “But you never
know what’s going on.”
Collins is the third law enforcement
staffer in Detroit
or Wayne County to die from
coronavirus-related illnesses
this week. On Tuesday, the
Detroit Police Department
announced the deaths of a
38-year-old dispatcher Monday
and Jonathan Parnell, commander
of the homicide section,
on Tuesday.
Collins was a DJ on Mix 92.3
FM until last year.
“During the day Commander
Collins is the CO of court
services; however when he’s
off-duty he’s displaying his
vocal abilities as an emcee for
various events, including the
hugely popular Friday night
“Back Jam Show” broadcast
live from Lucky’s Restaurant in
Southfield,” a biography on the
Sheriff’s Office website says.
The Detroit News
During COVID-19, fallen officers
go without funerals, memorials
The impact of bans on public gatherings to prevent
the spread of the coronavirus has forced bereaved
families to seek alternatives
TACOMA, Wash. — Gov. Jay Inslee’s
ban on public gatherings
to prevent the spread of the
coronavirus includes funerals.
The repercussions have been
felt across cultures and inside
funeral homes.
Memorials, viewings, sitting
shiva, ritual cleansings, graveside
services and military honors
are forbidden under Inslee’s
orders. It will even affect the
memorial for Washington State
Patrol trooper Justin Schaffer,
who was killed Tuesday during
an attempt to stop a fleeing
driver near Chehalis.
“You can’t have a funeral,” said Coretta Harwood, owner of
Scott Funeral Home in Tacoma. “We can’t have a group of people
in an enclosed space for any type of gathering.”
34 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 35