One Chicago fan favorite Officer Kevin Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins) has turned in his badge on Chicago P.D.
Atwater has been craving a change of pace since Season 13 of Chicago P.D., and Officer Tasha Fox (Karen Obilom) was happy to provide it as the pair fell for each other and enjoyed a steamy night before Tasha moved to Florida. However, she eventually returned to Chicago with news: she was pregnant with Atwater’s baby. While Tasha assured Atwater she wasn’t expecting anything from him, he was delighted by the news and wasted no time planning their life together.
As a longtime family man, Atwater finally began prioritizing his own desires, as Tasha so often encourages him. The drive for self-fulfillment outside of the 21st District continued in Season 14 with the arrival of the couple’s son and Atwater’s eventual departure from the squad.
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Directed by Chicago P.D. icon Jesse Lee Soffer, who played Detective Jay Halstead for a decade, Season 14’s “Don’t Blink” was an emotional send-off celebrated by the full Intelligence Unit family.
Why Atwater left Chicago and the Intelligence Unit
Atwater is officially a dad on Season 14 of Chicago P.D., and that milestone emboldened him to ask his longtime Sgt. Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) about the potential for promotion at the CPD. Voight admitted there weren’t openings available that wouldn’t warrant a major administrative overhaul, news that Atwater took in stride despite his feelings of stagnation at the 21st District.
Meanwhile, the Intelligence Unit’s latest investigation put Atwater to the test as his thoughts drifted toward his new family. He was left shaken after being shot in his bulletproof vest during a criminal pursuit. When he wrapped up the case, Voight was excited to tell Atwater that a promotion could be on the horizon, after all.
But Atwater changed his mind, telling Voight that he wanted to be home with his family more. Voight couldn’t argue with that, giving Atwater his blessing while recommending him for a job teaching at the police academy in Atlanta. The opportunity provided all the family time he needed, plus “no snow.”
P.D.‘s showrunner Gwen Sigan told NBC Insider, “He gets a choice in this episode where, in a rarity for us, it’s like both of the answers to this choice are wonderful answers,” Sigan said. “And he gets to a place where he realizes ‘I can choose what I want.'”
Atwater shared the exciting opportunity with Tasha, who was initially hesitant after her Season 13 relocation. But Atwater felt good about a future in Atlanta, and he truly wanted to build something new with their son.
Showrunner Gwen Sigan talks Atwater leaving Chicago P.D.
Tasha understood completely, joining Atwater and his Intelligence Unit friends at a goodbye party at Molly’s. After receiving a heartwarming blessing from his colleagues, he took the podium to deliver a touching message.
“I look around this room, and the only word that comes to mind is gratitude,” he said. “For the past 14 years, the 21st District has been my home. So raise a drink because I went ahead and made a new family. And it’s time we found a new home. From the heart, thank you.”
The Intelligence Unit rejoiced, breaking into a sweet serenade of “For He’s A Jolly Good Fellow” in honor of Atwater’s mythic Chicago P.D. exit.
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“We really wanted to give [Atwater] something that felt super natural to his character, that felt like an organic place for him to get to,” she told us. “We wanted to give that character a send-off that he deserves and something his character has earned and make it positive, in a way, for him.”
Sigan concluded, “For a character who is so giving and so much about other people, for him to have a moment like this, I thought was really special.”
Watch Chicago P.D. on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC and the next day on Peacock.Â
Reporting by Stephanie Gomulka.
