Gary Police Department, Indiana
End of Watch Saturday, January 31, 1953
Add to My HeroesElza "Tip" O'Dell
Detective Elza O'Dell succumbed to gunshot wounds suffered one week earlier after being shot 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.
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.
Bio
- Age 42
- Tour 17 years
- Badge Not available
Incident Details
- Cause Gunfire
- Incident Date Saturday, January 24, 1953
- Weapon Handgun; Revolver
- Offender Shot and wounded
Most Recent Reflection
View all 8 ReflectionsNEVER FORGOTTEN!
copscycling4survivors.org
Monica Zahasky
January 31, 2017
Recent LODD Deaths

Agent Alfred Zanyet-Pérez
Puerto Rico Police Department, PR
EOW: February 15, 2019

Detective Brian Simonsen
New York City Police Department, NY
EOW: February 12, 2019

Police Officer Matthew Rittner
Milwaukee Police Department, WI
EOW: February 6, 2019

Trooper Lucas Bartley Dowell
Virginia State Police, VA
EOW: February 4, 2019

Detective William Lee Brewer
Clermont County Sheriff's Office, OH
EOW: February 2, 2019

Border Patrol Agent Donna Doss
United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - United States Border Patrol, US
EOW: February 2, 2019

Corporal Shane Totty
Baton Rouge Police Department, LA
EOW: February 1, 2019

Deputy Sheriff Joshua Bryan "LJ" Ryer, Jr.
Glascock County Sheriff's Office, GA
EOW: January 29, 2019

Supervisory Deputy US Marshal Norman D. Merkel
United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service, US
EOW: January 16, 2019