One Chicago Star Addresses Shocking Final Episode In Franchise After 12 Years

Published Oct 16, 2026, 10:23 PM EDT

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After his recent Chicago P.D. exit, LaRoyce Hawkins has reflected on hanging up his TV badge for good.

After more than a decade as one of Chicago P.D.'s best characters, Kevin Atwater left the show in the midst of a highly emotional storyline that was just as easy to understand as it was heartbreaking. As disappointing as it was for viewers to say goodbye to the character, the actor who brought him to life has given up the job he called home for many years. During a recent interview, he reflected on how his character left the show and what he went through while filming his final storyline.

On October 16, The Hollywood Reporter published the transcript of its interview with LaRoyce Hawkins that was recorded the day before his final Chicago P.D. episode aired. Similar to how the handling of his character's exit was praised by many viewers, the actor told the outlet how happy he was that the writers penned such a thoughtful departure for him. Check out Hawkins' comments below:

I think that is something that is good to see, especially in today’s world. And when you consider all the characters that have left this show at a high level, nobody really goes out like that.

When asked about his character being shot while wearing a bulletproof vest during his exit storyline, Hawkins had a playful response. "They had to throw that in there just to throw people off. That was crazy. Yeah, my mama was tweaking. My big sister was mad. I was like, 'Nah, everything is going to work out.'"

During an episode that could someday be a contender to be named one of Chicago P.D.'s best episodes, Atwater was inspired to step away from his law enforcement role out of a desire to be a present father. As he continued to talk to the outlet, Hawkins spoke about how he reacted to the storyline and expressed his desire to have his character come to the decision organically.

That was the part that got me. I remember when I made notes for the episode before we really got into it. After I read [the script] a few times, one of the things I said was that what I see is this father was absent in his son’s life, and how that affected his son. I see how it’s affecting him. I said, “We don’t really need the bullet. I understand the bullet because you want to be dramatic, but I don’t want it to be the bullet that [connects the dots for Atwater]. I want the case to have a handle [or impact] on me, and for my opinion to reflect, "Oh I can have it all. I think I trust Tasha Fox. I think I feel like my son’s going to be amazing."

Hawkins went on to discuss how difficult the process of filming his final Chicago P.D. episode was, explaining he had to isolate himself from his co-stars and the crew to ward off emotions that would hinder his acting. He also noted how his former co-star Jesse Lee Soffer directing the episode helped since he gave him valuable advice: to stop being "hyper aware" of himself.

While discussing the final Chicago P.D. scene he shot, which was with Jason Beghe as Sergeant Hank Voight, he noted that they found smiles to bring down the drama of the moment. Still, he explained how emotional shooting the scene was at times.

It was emotional sometimes, to be honest with you. I didn’t even realize until I looked at [the episode] that it looks like I might cry. But that’s how I felt in the moment. To be honest, it was like, "Damn, dude." It was my last scene with Sarge. I love Sarge. So the conversation paralleled what was going on with the character and with myself, which was cool. Sarge saying that I can do anything, that I deserve it all, all of those moments felt like it really reflected our real relationship sometimes, and I could tell he was getting emotional sometimes, too. But we just made sure it was fun.

It has long been obvious that there will always be debates about which One Chicago series is the best. It also seems just as clear that cast upheaval will continue to be a staple of the franchise, even if that can be very disappointing at times.

Since his character played a pivotal role in the show's first 13 seasons, it was easy to feel like Hawkins would continue to be a Chicago P.D. staple for many years to come. While it is sad that no longer is the case and his tenure on the series has now come to an end, it is wonderful that Atwater's closing storyline was handled so gracefully for the actor and viewers alike.

Chicago P.D. season 14 airs new episodes every Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.

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  Jason Beghe

  Hank Voight

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  Marina Squerciati

  Kim Burgess