3rd Henry County employee dies of COVID-19 complications this month

A third member of the Henry County law enforcement community has died of COVID-19 complications this month.

Mike Delay, a telecommunications operator for the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, died of the disease Sunday at Piedmont Newton Hospital, the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post. The agency did not say when he was diagnosed.

He is the second sheriff’s employee to succumb to COVID-19 this month. Deputy Nicholas Howell, 36, died Jan. 3 and was honored at a funeral last week. Described as a “consummate law enforcement professional,” Howell is survived by his wife and five children.

On Thursday, Henry County police Sgt. David Crumpler died after spending more than a week in the hospital in a medically-induced coma and on a ventilator after being diagnosed with COVID-19. His colleagues said he previously retired from the department, but came back part-time as a training instructor because he loved what he did.

“I feel like Henry County needs to know who you really were,” the police department wrote in a social media post, describing Crumpler as a gentleman, a teacher and a “joy-filled servant.”

Henry County Sheriff Reginald Scandrett was also diagnosed with COVID-19 in early December after attending a statewide training for newly elected sheriffs.