Detective Chris Odle, a six year veteran of the Bristol Tennessee Police Department who was assigned last year to cover child and elder abuse, has been awarded the Mark Vance Award for exceptional service in the prosecution of domestic violence cases.
Awarded annually by the Branch House Family Justice Center and the 2nd Judicial District Attorney General’s Office, the award honors the memory of Vance, a BTPD officer killed in November 2004 while responding to a domestic dispute call. The award ceremony is held each October to commemorate Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
In presenting the award to Detective Odle, Asst. District Attorney Mike Filetti called him a “hero” who has taken on the role of “big brother” to protect abuse victims. Some of his cases have made headlines recently, he said, and should serve as reassurance to the community that “anybody who needs his help, he’s going to be there.”
Detective Odle holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Radford University and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in criminology from ETSU. He joined the BTPD in 2014 and worked as a night shift patrol officer until being transferred to the Criminal Investigations Division last October.
He accepted the award by explaining that he begins each new day by remembering advice he was given when he began his current role in CID: “Don’t lose your compassion, which is a trait that law enforcement officers need to help victims of domestic abuse through the darkest times of their life.” With that in mind, he makes it his priority “to protect the children, the rights of victims, and help them stand up against their abuser.”
Detective Odle and his wife, BTPD Officer Tianna Macias, live in Bristol, TN.
