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Odafin "Fin" Tutuola (born 1962) is a detective on Manhattan's Special Victims Unit.

History

He was partnered with John Munch from 2000-2007, until Fin was switched to Chester Lake in the middle of that year. After Lake killed a crooked cop, both Elliot Stabler's and Lake's betrayal convinces Fin to consider transfer out of SVU in early 2008. (SVU: "Cold") But in September 2008, Fin's transfer proposal was scrapped because of an ex-friend back in Narcotics was now dealing with handling transfer papers. Seeing the transfer as a bust, Fin returned as Munch's partner. His relationship with Stabler after this was somewhat hostile for a time, but it appeared to have warmed again before Stabler's departure from the squad. (SVU: "Trials")

Fin came from Narcotics where he was an undercover often for months. Fin came when his partner took a bullet meant for him. He doesn't tell Munch this until after a year of working with him, indicating that he does not like talking about his feelings.

Fin is shown to be calm in the interrogation room, such as when a racist killer calls him a slur. He only says back "That the best you got?" (SVU: "Anchor") Outside the interrogation room, though, he is known to be violent. He once assaulted a trafficker who smuggled Nigerian children.

In November 2004, Tutuola took sick leave. Fin's relationship with Det. Olivia Benson is better. At one point, Benson poses as an inmate in a women's prison to investigate an alleged rape by a corrections officer. (SVU: "Undercover") While there, the corrections officer in question attacks her and attempts to force her to perform oral sex on him. She is rescued by SVU colleague Fin Tutuola who gets there just in time to stop the rape. In season ten, Benson is seen struggling with now being a victim of sexual assault herself. She is attending group therapy, something she has not shared with anyone but Tutuola. At another time, Fin snaps at Benson. His son was found digging in an empty lot and was arrested. Instead of calling his father, he called Benson, causing friction between the two.

In June 2009, Fin and Elliot were chasing Peter Harrison. Harrison set a gas trap that nearly killed Detective Odafin Tutuola and Detective Elliot Stabler. Ryan O'Halloran told them they are lucky to be alive. (SVU: "Zebras")

Family

Currently, he has a son in college, an ex-wife who is out of town because of the machinations his nephew, Darius, did to his family and to his colleagues back in early 2007. (SVU: "Screwed")

Early life

Tutuola had served in the US Army in 75th Ranger Regiment and once was deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia, during the conflict there. (SVU: "PTSD")

Officer-involved shootings

Name

Odafin is a Yoruba (Nigerian) name, the literal meaning is "establisher of laws" can loosely translate to lawmaker.

Appearances

Notes

  • The origin of his name (Tutuola) is of the Yoruba people of Southwest Nigeria.
  • It is said Tutuola was six during the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., making his birth year either 1961 or 1962, which means he is at least 53 years old.
  • In "Scorched Earth" he mentions having a grandmother who was a maid.
  • His name is taken from the book The Palm Wine Drinkard by Amos Tutola.
  • His badge number is 3198.
  • Fin's political party is Republican, as mentioned in "Secrets".
  • He is currently the second longest running character still on SVU after the retirement of Captain Cragan in 2014. The longest running is Olivia Benson.
  • Ironically, Ice-T, the actor who plays Fin, produced a song titled "Cop-Killer" in 1990 and released it in 1992, which was a song about killing police officers. The song was widely controversial, even being criticized by President George H.W. Bush.
  • When Det. Amanda Rollins arrives as his new partner in "Scorched Earth", they soon develop a good relationship, as seen throughout the following seasons.
  • He was the first person Det. Amanda Rollins revealed her gambling addiction to.


Icon SVU Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - Main Characters

Senior Detectives: Elliot StablerJohn MunchOdafin TutuolaOlivia BensonAmanda Rollins

Junior Detectives: Olivia BensonMonique JeffriesOdafin TutuolaChester LakeAmanda RollinsNick AmaroDominick Carisi, Jr.Katriona TaminJoe VelascoGrace Muncy

Squad Supervisors: John MunchOlivia BensonOdafin Tutuola

Commanding Officers: Donald CragenOlivia BensonChristian Garland

Assistant District Attorneys: Alexandra CabotCasey NovakKim GreylekRafael BarbaPeter StoneDominick Carisi, Jr.

Others: Melinda WarnerGeorge Huang

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