Knights of Columbus Soddy Daisy Chapter Awards HCSO Detective Mark Easterly the Margaret Chastain First Responder Award

Hamilton County, TN – On Saturday, September 28, 2024, the Knights of Columbus - Chapter 14079, hosted an awards ceremony and breakfast for local first responders in Soddy Daisy, Tennessee.

This year’s ceremony honored Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Detective, Mark Easterly, with the Margaret Chastain First Responder of the Year Award for his efforts to successfully investigate numerous crimes, particularly those pertaining to the theft of copper-based wiring and child abuse.

In August 2023, Detective Easterly was assigned to investigate the theft of communication cables. Through the course of his lengthy and extensive investigation, he was also able to identify a group of individuals responsible for the thefts. At the conclusion of the investigation involving these (35) separate theft reports, with estimated damages exceeding $125,000, Mark was able to bring criminal charges of Theft and Critical Infrastructure Vandalism against (10) different individuals.

In addition to the wire theft cases, Detective Easterly was also assigned several other important cases to investigate over the past year. The most significant of these investigations were (2) separate reports of Child Abuse. Both cases turned out to be complex, time-consuming, and difficult to investigate. Nevertheless, he was able to successfully complete these investigations, and both are currently pending prosecution.

Detective Easterly is a dedicated and valued member of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. His service to this agency and our community exemplifies the role of a dedicated public servant and are in keeping with the highest standards and traditions of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. It is for these qualities and his service mentioned above, he received the Knight’s of Columbus’ prestigious Margaret Chastain First Responder Award.

In attendance were numerous community residents, elected officials, first responders, and law enforcement personnel from throughout Hamilton County.

In addition to the award presented to Detective Easterly, four other local first responders from the Soddy Daisy Police Department, Soddy Daisy Fire Department, Hamilton County EMS, and Dallas Bay Fire Department also received awards at the breakfast for their service.

Please join with us as we thank the Knights of Columbus and congratulate HCSO Detective Mark Easterly on receiving this prestigious award recognizing his service to Hamilton County and his investigative abilities.