Jerry Cannon
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Nelson "Jerry" Cannon is a retired military general and the former sheriff of
Kalkaska County, Michigan Kalkaska County ( ) is located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, its population was 17,939. The county seat is Kalkaska. Kalkaska County is part of the Traverse City metropolitan area. Although it is located on Michigan' ...
. In 2014, Cannon ran for Congress in
Michigan's 1st congressional district Michigan's 1st congressional district is a United States congressional district that fully contains the 15 counties of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and 20 counties of Northern Michigan in the Lower Peninsula. The district is currently represen ...
, losing to
Dan Benishek Daniel Joseph Benishek (April 20, 1952 – October 15, 2021) was an American physician and politician who served three terms as the U.S. representative for from 2011 to 2017. He was a member of the Republican Party. Early life and education Be ...
. He is a member of the Democratic Party.


Education

Cannon holds an associate degree from
Wayne County Community College Wayne County Community College District (WCCCD), commonly known as WC3, is a public community college district with its headquarters in Detroit, Michigan. It was founded in 1967 and has six campuses: Eastern, Downtown, Downriver, Northwest, Weste ...
, a B.A. in criminal justice from the
University of Detroit The University of Detroit Mercy is a private Catholic university in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is sponsored by both the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy. The university was founded in 1877 and is the largest Catho ...
(1976), a master's degree in public administration from
Central Michigan University Central Michigan University (CMU) is a Public university, public research university in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States. It was established in 1892 as a private normal school and became a state institution in 1895. CMU is one of the eigh ...
, and a master's degree in strategic studies from the
US Army War College The United States Army War College (USAWC) is a U.S. Army staff college in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, with a Carlisle postal address, on the 500-acre (2 km2) campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks. It provides graduate-level instru ...
. He has also taught criminal justice at
Northwestern Michigan College Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) is a Public college, public community college in Traverse City, Michigan. Established in 1951, the college enrolls more than 3,000 students. The college offers associate degrees and professional certificates, B ...
.


Military career

After graduating from high school in 1967, Cannon served in the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
as a Marine and was honorably discharged as a sergeant in 1970. He then joined the River Rouge Police Department. In 1977, Cannon enlisted in the
Michigan Army National Guard The Michigan Army National Guard is the Army component of the Michigan National Guard and a reserve component of the United States Army. During the Cold War, the 156th Signal Battalion was federalized on 1 October 1962 at its home stations in res ...
and joined the Kalkaska County Sheriff Department. Cannon served as sheriff of Kalkaska County from 1987–2004. From 2003-2004, Cannon served as the commander of the Joint Detention Operations Group
Joint Task Force Guantanamo Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTF-GTMO) is a U.S. military joint task force based at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Guantánamo Bay, Cuba on the southeastern end of the base. JTF-GTMO falls under US Southern Command. Since January 2002 the command ...
. ''Roll Call'' reported that Cannon doesn't think his service at Guantanamo should be seen as unpatriotic, saying of it, "I've done that gladly. I've done that proudly. I would do it again." He was promoted to brigadier general in 2004, assuming command of the 177th Military Police Brigade in Taylor, Michigan. He was promoted to major general in 2006 as commanding general of the 46th Military Police Command in Lansing, Michigan. Cannon served two deployments in Iraq during the
Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...
. His first deployment was 2008–2009, where he served as deputy commanding general responsible for developing Iraqi police forces. His second deployment to Iraq was 2010-2011 where he served as U.S. Forces-Iraq Provost Marshal General and deputy commanding general for detention operations. After his last deployment in Iraq, he returned to the Michigan Army National Guard and in February 2012 was placed in the Army Retired Reserves, effectively signaling his retirement from the military.


2014 congressional candidacy

In August 2013, Cannon announced that he would challenge Republican Congressman
Dan Benishek Daniel Joseph Benishek (April 20, 1952 – October 15, 2021) was an American physician and politician who served three terms as the U.S. representative for from 2011 to 2017. He was a member of the Republican Party. Early life and education Be ...
in
Michigan's 1st congressional district Michigan's 1st congressional district is a United States congressional district that fully contains the 15 counties of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and 20 counties of Northern Michigan in the Lower Peninsula. The district is currently represen ...
. Cannon ran unopposed in the Democratic primary on August 5, 2014. He was defeated by Benishek in the general election. Cannon was endorsed by the
Sierra Club The Sierra Club is an American environmental organization with chapters in all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. The club was founded in 1892, in San Francisco, by preservationist John Muir. A product of the Pro ...
, and the
League of Conservation Voters The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) is an American environmental advocacy group. LCV says that it "builds political power for people and the planet." Through its affiliated super PAC, it is a major supporter of the Democratic Party. The org ...
.
Nancy Pelosi Nancy Patricia Pelosi ( ; ; born March 26, 1940) is an American politician who was the List of Speakers of the United States House of Representatives, 52nd speaker of the United States House of Representatives, serving from 2007 to 2011 an ...
's campaign committee has donated to Cannon's campaign. In January 2014, Cannon was interviewed by a reporter from the ''Daily Mining Gazette''. The day after the interview, the reporter called Cannon to ask follow-up questions. The person who answered the phone identified himself as Cannon, and went on to express his dislike of the Affordable Care Act. Cannon's campaign denied that he had made the anti-Affordable Care Act comments, and the newspaper later revealed that the reporter had dialed the wrong number and had spoken with a Cannon impersonator, and not Cannon himself. Cannon's campaign subsequently confirmed his support for the Affordable Care Act. Cannon has noted his belief that the "worst thing that could be done" to the Affordable Care Act is to "throw it all away."


Personal life

Cannon has a wife, Elizabeth. The Cannons live in
Fife Lake, Michigan Fife Lake ( ) is a Village (United States), village in southeastern Grand Traverse County, Michigan, Grand Traverse County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Its population was 456 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 443 at the 20 ...
. Cannon is a member of the Kalkaska Memorial Health Center Board of Trustees, chairman of the Garfield Township Parks and Recreation Committee, and a board member of the Northern Michigan Law Enforcement Training Group.


Controversy

Cannon came under public scrutiny in November 2018 after a widely shared online police body camera video depicted Cannon offering to "take responsibility" for Midland County Sheriff Scott Stephenson - after he had been found drunkenly slumped over in his car on the side of a
Kalkaska County Kalkaska County ( ) is located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, its population was 17,939. The county seat is Kalkaska. Kalkaska County is part of the Traverse City metropolitan area. Although it is located on Michigan's ...
Road - in an apparent attempt to stop Stephenson from being arrested and jailed for drunk driving. The body camera footage depicts Stephenson begging the responding Kalkaska officer and Cannon, the Garfield Township Police Chief who was off duty at the time, to not send him to jail. After Stephenson's pleas, Cannon can be seen stepping away from the scene to make a phone call, only to return and explain nothing could be done, saying: "I'm not the sheriff anymore... d the old days and ways are gone."


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cannon, Jerry Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Northwestern Michigan College Place of birth missing (living people) United States Marine Corps personnel of the Vietnam War Michigan sheriffs Michigan Democrats Central Michigan University alumni University of Detroit Mercy alumni People from Grand Traverse County, Michigan People from Kalkaska County, Michigan United States Army War College alumni Michigan National Guard personnel National Guard (United States) generals United States Army personnel of the Iraq War United States Marine Corps non-commissioned officers