LaRoyce Hawkins Is Leaving Chicago P.D. After 13 Seasons—Here’s What We Know

Grab your tissues, One Chicago fans, because Intelligence is losing another legendary piece of its soul. In a twist that exactly zero of us wanted to see on our 2026 bingo cards, LaRoyce Hawkins is officially leaving Chicago P.D. as a series regular. After 13 seasons of watching Officer Kevin Atwater carry the moral compass of the entire 21st District on his very broad shoulders, Hawkins is packing his bags during the upcoming 14th season. For a show that has already bled major talent over the last few years, looking at you, Jesse Lee Soffer and Tracy Spiridakos, this one cuts deep. Atwater wasn’t just a character; he was the reliable anchor in a sea of questionable police tactics.

Thankfully, the showrunners aren’t completely pulling the rug out from under us on day one. Hawkins is scheduled to return for the first two or three episodes of Season 14 to properly wrap up Kevin Atwater's storyline. With the new season slated to premiere on October 7, 2026, you can expect his official curtain call to air sometime around mid-to-late October. While a short farewell arc is better than a sudden, off-screen disappearance, it means his final days in the uniform are already numbered. Enjoy those crisp, perfectly delivered Atwater standard operating procedures while you can.

If there is any silver lining to this heartbreak, it is that the writers actually set up a functional, happy exit for the man. For years, Chicago P.D. fans complained that Atwater was constantly shortchanged in the romance department. The writers finally heard the cries in Season 13 when they reconnected him with his former academy colleague, Officer Tasha Fox, played by Karen Obilom. The Season 13 finale dropped a massive bombshell when Tasha revealed she is pregnant with Atwater’s baby.

Given how fiercely protective Kevin is over his family, remember how hard he fought for his younger siblings, Jordan and Vinessa, it makes perfect narrative sense that he would choose to step away from the line of fire. Leaving the grim, stressful streets of Chicago to raise a family with Tasha gives Atwater the peaceful, well-deserved exit that almost nobody else in this universe ever gets. Frankly, after over a decade of taking literal and metaphorical bullets for Hank Voight, the man has earned a break.

With Hawkins stepping down from his full-time status, the list of remaining original cast members from the 2014 pilot is looking incredibly thin. Once Season 14 gets into full swing, the only original series regulars left standing will be Hank Voight, Adam Ruzek, Kim Burgess, and Trudy Platt. Losing Atwater fundamentally shifts the dynamic of the bullpen. He was the perfect foil to Ruzek’s hot-headed impulses and Burgess’s emotional conflicts. Without him, the balance of power changes completely.

The show must go on, and NBC wasted no time looking for a replacement. Casting is already underway for a new Black police officer to join the series regular lineup. The character breakdown hints at someone who is a total wild card, a stark contrast to Atwater’s strictly-by-the-book philosophy. Watching the tight-knit Intelligence unit adjust to an unpredictable newcomer while simultaneously grieving the loss of their most trusted brother is going to make for a very tense workplace environment.

It is impossible to overstate how much LaRoyce Hawkins brought to this franchise. He turned what could have been a background character into the emotional core of the series, anchoring some of the show's most poignant episodes regarding race, justice, and community policing. While it is sad to see him go, 13 seasons is an incredible run in modern television.

The TV Cave will be tracking this transition every step of the way. How do you think the 21st District will handle life without Kevin Atwater? Are you happy he is getting a family-focused exit, or were you hoping he would make detective first? Sound off in the comments below, and stay tuned for more Chicago P.D. previews, recaps, and updates.