‘Chicago P.D.’ Fans Brace for Heartbreak as LaRoyce Hawkins’ Atwater Farewell Date Is Revealed

Long-running procedurals rarely get through a decade without losing a few faces, but some departures change the whole feel of a show. LaRoyce Hawkins’ exit from ‘Chicago P.D.‘ belongs in that category. Hawkins has played Officer Kevin Atwater since the Dick Wolf drama launched in 2014, making him one of the longest-running cast members in the One Chicago universe.

Over that time, the character grew well beyond his starting point. Atwater went from a uniformed patrol officer to one of Intelligence’s most respected detectives. Hawkins also played him in crossover episodes with ‘Chicago Fire’ and ‘Chicago Med’, which made Atwater a familiar face across NBC’s Wednesday night lineup.

Now the goodbye has a date. Hawkins’ final episode airs Wednesday, October 14, and NBC has released a preview teasing how Atwater will say goodbye. The episode is titled “Don’t Blink” and centers on a turning point in Atwater’s life that pushes him to decide about his future.

The preview points toward a hopeful ending. It shows Atwater at home with his baby, reflecting that the 21st District has been his home for 14 years while admitting he wants something new. Sergeant Voight, played by Jason Beghe, tells him that he and his son deserve that.

The groundwork was laid in the season premiere. Near the end of it, Atwater got the call to rush to the hospital because Tasha Fox was in labor. That follows a storyline from last season, when Atwater reconnected with an old friend, Officer Tasha Fox, played by Karen Obilom, and things quickly turned romantic before she surprised him with news of a pregnancy.

Showrunner Gwen Sigan has said the producers wanted this exit to feel like Atwater’s own choice. She described the departure as a positive, optimistic decision made by the character himself. Former cast member Jesse Lee Soffer returned to direct the farewell episode. Soffer left the show in Season 10 and has directed since.

Behind the scenes, the send-off has already happened. On August 14, a post from the CineCares Foundation at Cinespace Chicago Film Studios showed Hawkins being celebrated after he finished filming his last episode. The exit was first announced in early July, when Variety confirmed it and noted that Deadline reported it first.

The loss is part of a bigger shake-up for Intelligence. Hawkins’ decision follows the recent exits of Jesse Lee Soffer and Tracy Spiridakos. The show is also reportedly casting a new series regular. It has not been officially confirmed, but the expectation is that Karen Obilom will leave around the time of Hawkins’ final episode.

Hawkins isn’t short on work after this. His credits outside the NBC franchise include Marvel’s ‘Ironheart’, ‘Power Book IV: Force’ and ‘Ballers’. All three One Chicago shows returned on October 7, with ‘Chicago P.D.’ starting its 14th season, ‘Chicago Fire’ its 15th and ‘Chicago Med’ its 12th.

For fans, the next few days are about saying goodbye to a character who anchored the series for so long. If the preview is any guide, Atwater’s story ends on a warm note rather than a tragic one, which is a rarity for Intelligence. Keep the tissues handy on Wednesday regardless.