Elza "Tip" O'Dell

Gary Police Department — Gary, IN

Felonious

End of Watch January 31, 1953

Age 43

Tour of Duty 17 yrs

The Vigil Panel 88 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 14

Incident

Detective Elza O'Dell succumbed to gunshot wounds suffered one week earlier when he and his partner tried to arrest a subject at 1225 Washington Street. The officers had responded after the man's ex-wife complained he had come to her house with a knife. They followed the subject into a building and confronted him, at which time he shot Detective O'Dell five times. The suspect was shot three times by Detective O'Dell and later charged with murder. Detective O'Dell, who was shot in the throat, abdomen, and right leg, lingered for a week before he died from his injuries. The suspect was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to two to 21 years in prison. He was paroled in 1960 with the condition that he return to Puerto Rico. Detective O'Dell had served with the Gary Police Department for 17 years. He was Lake County's first African American police officer killed in the line of duty.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and child.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-IN-3B3CCE67
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Detective O'Dell gave the Gary Police Department 17 years.
Thank you for your service to the Gary community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective O'Dell.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Gary Police Department

Location Gary, IN

Platform Identity garypd.lake.in.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 31, 1953

Tour of Duty 17 yrs

Age 43

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; Revolver

Offender Paroled

Detective Elza "Tip" O'Dell is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In IN, 311 of 503 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 61.8% of this state's fallen. That is 7.6 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Gary Police Department, 10 of 15 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.

Gary Police Department

of 15 officers

66.7% Felonious

IN — Statewide

311

of 503 officers

61.8% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious