06/07/2026
Chuck Norris is no longer the badest MF’r in heaven! 76 year old John Sherman is! John was my friend. He was the very best leader I ever worked for. He inspired everyone around him. He commanded a room. He made us all better men. It was never about a single man; it was always about, all of us together. I never wanted to disappoint him and when I did, he counseled me and helped me grow. His style of counseling was direct. In fact, it would probably be offensive to young officers today, but I knew he was right and that he meant well. He was extremely smart. He was a mentor. He was physically amongst the strongest men I’ve ever known. I fought him once in training (full contact sparring), he hit like a freight train and beat me without breaking a sweat. He was a servant to America as a soldier serving as an Airborne Ranger. He was a servant to the citizens of Northville Township and Western Wayne County. He was a husband, a father, a brother, an uncle, and a friend to many. The good lord brought him home this glorious Sunday morning at 102am. I am grateful that he was such a big part of my life and especially that he is no longer suffering. I am heartbroken knowing that I will never hear his words again, be the victim of his piercing stare when I irritated him, hear his silly laugh or reminisce about the great work he inspired everyone around him to do. He was the founder and first commander of the Western Wayne County Special Operations Team (SWAT). His long illness kept him from understanding what that team has grown into today. His legacy lives on today in the philosophy and standards he set in the 1980’s. You had to be a team player, be smart, be a problem solver, be extremely physically fit, and be a very good shooter. You had to have the whole package; nothing else was acceptable. I thank God that those standards still live on today. In fact, he started the Westen Wayne Special Operations SWAT School which was modeled after Miami-Dade’s SWAT School. It was 3 weeks long when I attended in 1991. As a former soldier myself, I thought it was gonna be another coffee and donut cop school. I was wrong. It was the absolute toughest school I have ever attended. We started with around 40 guys and graduated around half as I recall. To use a Shermanism, John was “as hard as woodpecker lips.” John taught many patrol rifle, sniper, and active shooter classes for my company in its first two decades of existence. As he exited out of teaching our police schools, he entered the realm of teaching our citizen clients for a few years and they loved him. He represented CMI at numerous events over the years. He loved to go to Shot Show with us in Vegas. John, his son Jack, and I even attended our friend Chris Kyle’s funeral together in Dallas. We did a lot together. As the years went on, John was always there to help me whenever I needed it the most. I loved him deeply. Rest in peace Lieutenant Sherman. Thank you for being my friend, a mentor, and second father. Your legacy will live on through your accomplishments and our memories. Good lord willing, we will see you on the other side.
Ofc. J. Felts (ret.)
Former Sniper Team Leader, Western Wayne Co. SWAT
President, Center Mass, Inc.
