LaRoyce Hawkins Leaving Chicago P.D.: Why Atwater Is Exiting

Fans of NBC's Chicago P.D. got an unwelcome jolt this week: LaRoyce Hawkins, who has played Officer Kevin Atwater since the character was introduced on Chicago Fire in 2013 and then became a founding member of the P.D. ensemble in 2014, is exiting the show as a series regular. The news broke on July 2, 2026, first reported by Deadline, and was quickly confirmed by Variety, TVLine, E! News, and other outlets. It is trending across the US as fans process the loss of one of the last original cast members still standing on the long running Dick Wolf procedural.

Hawkins joins a growing list of Chicago P.D. departures in recent years, following exits by Jesse Lee Soffer (Jay Halstead) and Tracy Spiridakos (Hailey Upton). But Hawkins's departure hits differently for longtime viewers, since Atwater is one of only a handful of characters who has been part of the show since its very first episode in 2014. According to Deadline and TVLine, Hawkins will not vanish overnight. He is expected to appear in the first two or three episodes of Season 14 to properly close out Atwater's story before stepping away from the role for good.

Why Is LaRoyce Hawkins Leaving Chicago P.D.?

As of this writing, neither Hawkins, NBC, nor the Chicago P.D. producers have publicly stated an official reason for his exit. Deadline reported that an NBC representative had no comment when asked about the departure. That means the "why" is still an open question, and any blog, forum post, or social clip claiming to know the exact behind the scenes reason should be read with some skepticism until Hawkins or the network says more.

What is confirmed is that this is being treated as a planned, story driven exit rather than an abrupt firing or contract dispute. Multiple outlets, including TVLine and E! News, note that the timing lines up neatly with a major turn in Atwater's personal life that played out across Season 13, which suggests the show is using the character's own arc as the vehicle for writing him off rather than scrambling to explain away a sudden absence.

How and When Does Atwater Exit the Show

Season 14 of Chicago P.D. premieres October 7, 2026 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, with episodes available the next day on Peacock. Hawkins is set to return for the season's opening episodes, giving the writers room to wrap up Atwater's story properly instead of writing him out off screen between seasons.

The most likely exit path, based on where Season 13 left things, involves Atwater's relationship with Officer Tasha Fox, a longtime friend turned romantic partner. Fox relocated to Miami for a new job, and by the end of Season 13 she was back at Atwater's door revealing she was pregnant with his child. Several outlets, including TVLine and TheTVCave, point out that this sets up an obvious off ramp, Atwater choosing to leave Chicago for Miami to be with Fox and raise their baby together. Nothing has been confirmed script wise, but the pieces are lined up for a "chose family over the badge" send off rather than a darker or more tragic exit.

Also worth noting: Chicago P.D. is reportedly already casting a new series regular to join the show, described as a Black police officer characterized as an "agent of chaos." It is not yet clear whether this new character is meant to directly replace Atwater's role in the unit or simply refresh the ensemble alongside his departure.

What Hawkins and the Show Have Said

Direct, exit specific quotes from Hawkins are limited so far, which lines up with how recently this news broke. In past interviews, though, including one with People in 2025, Hawkins has spoken warmly about what playing Atwater for over a decade meant to him professionally. As he put it at the time, "I think the longevity on this show has allowed me just the time and the space to just learn and grow." That sentiment, that the role shaped him as an actor over 13 years, gives some emotional context for how significant this exit is, even without a formal goodbye statement yet.

As of publication, no extended statement from Hawkins addressing the departure directly, and no comment from showrunners about the creative reasoning, had been published by major outlets. If and when Hawkins posts a personal statement on social media or gives an exit interview, that will likely become its own news cycle, and this article will be a good one to check back on for updates.

Kevin Atwater's Legacy on Chicago P.D.

Kevin Atwater has been a foundational character across the One Chicago universe. He first appeared as a Chicago Fire candidate turned cop in a 2013 crossover before becoming a core member of the Intelligence Unit when Chicago P.D. launched in January 2014. Over 13 seasons, Atwater developed into one of the show's moral centers, a patrol officer turned detective known for his loyalty to the unit, his relationship with his brother Jordan, and storylines that dug into issues of race, policing, and community trust in ways the show did not always attempt with its other characters.

Losing Atwater means Chicago P.D. loses one of its last direct links to its 2014 premiere. Sergeant Hank Voight, played by Jason Beghe, will be essentially the only original series regular left standing once Hawkins departs, alongside longer tenured cast members like Marina Squerciati (Kim Burgess) and Patrick John Flueger (Adam Ruzek), who joined slightly later but have also been with the show for over a decade.

What's Next for LaRoyce Hawkins

Hawkins has kept busy outside of Chicago P.D. in recent years, with credits including Marvel and Disney+'s Ironheart, Starz's Power Book IV: Force, and HBO's Ballers earlier in his career. No specific new project has been announced yet tied to this exit, which is typical timing, actors often wait until an exit is public before revealing what comes next. Given his track record of moving between prestige streaming dramas and film work during hiatuses, it would not be surprising to see a new role announced in the coming months. This piece will be updated if Hawkins or his representatives confirm his next project.

Where to Watch Chicago P.D.

All 13 existing seasons of Chicago P.D., including Hawkins's full run as Atwater, are streaming on Peacock, which is the show's primary streaming home. New episodes of Season 14 will air on NBC starting October 7, 2026, and stream on Peacock the following day. The show is also available live via YouTube TV, fuboTV, and other live TV streaming services that carry NBC, and older seasons can be found for digital purchase on platforms like Amazon Video and Fandango at Home.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is LaRoyce Hawkins leaving Chicago P.D. for good?

Yes, as a series regular. Hawkins is expected to appear in the first two or three episodes of Season 14 to close out Kevin Atwater's story, after which he will no longer be a regular cast member. A full guest return down the line has not been ruled out or confirmed.

Why is Kevin Atwater leaving Chicago P.D.?

No official reason has been given by NBC or the show's producers. The likely in story explanation involves Atwater's partner, Officer Tasha Fox, being pregnant with his child and relocated to Miami, setting up a possible move for Atwater to leave Chicago and start a family elsewhere. This has not been confirmed as the final storyline.

When does LaRoyce Hawkins' last episode of Chicago P.D. air?

His exact final episode has not been announced. He is confirmed to appear in the early episodes of Season 14, which premieres October 7, 2026 on NBC and Peacock, but the specific episode marking his last appearance has not been revealed.

Who else has left Chicago P.D. in recent years?

Hawkins follows other high profile exits including Jesse Lee Soffer, who played Jay Halstead, and Tracy Spiridakos, who played Hailey Upton. Both departed in earlier seasons, and their characters' exits were also written into the show's ongoing storylines.

What to Watch Next

If you are processing the news of Atwater's exit by diving back into the One Chicago world, Chicago Fire and Chicago Med are the natural next stops, both streaming on Peacock and sharing the same interconnected universe and occasional crossover episodes with P.D. For more procedural cop drama in a similar vein, FBI and its spinoffs on CBS (available on Paramount+) scratch a similar itch with tightly plotted case of the week storytelling. And if you want another long running ensemble crime drama that has weathered major cast turnover the way Chicago P.D. has, Law & Order: SVU, also a Dick Wolf production, remains streaming on Peacock and is a good comparison point for how a procedural evolves across a decade plus of cast changes.