After 13 seasons, Chicago P.D. fans are saying goodbye to one of the show’s original faces. LaRoyce Hawkins is exiting the NBC police procedural as a series regular and here’s everything we know about his departure so far.
LaRoyce Hawkins is leaving Chicago P.D. after 13 seasons
Original cast member LaRoyce Hawkins is leaving the NBC police procedural as a series regular. He will return to wrap up his character Kevin Atwater’s storyline in the first two or three episodes of the upcoming Season 14, sources told Deadline.
Hawkins, 38, will appear in the first three episodes of the forthcoming season to wrap up his character’s storyline.
According to Deadline, Chicago P.D. is looking for a new series regular to play a Black police officer described as “an agent of chaos.”
According to People, Hawkins is the latest original cast member to leave the show after Jesse Lee Soffer exited in 2022 and Tracy Spiridakos left in 2024. Cast changes have become common on the Chicago shows. Before Season 13, Toya Turner left after one season as Officer Kiana Cook and Arienne Mandi joined the cast as Officer Eva Imani.
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Why could Kevin Atwater be leaving the show?
NBC has not announced why LaRoyce Hawkins is leaving Chicago P.D. and neither Hawkins nor the show’s producers have shared a reason for his exit. But Hawkins has played Kevin Atwater since Chicago P.D. premiered in 2014 and has been a fan favorite throughout the show’s 13 seasons. As a member of Hank Voight’s Intelligence Unit, Atwater worked alongside Adam Ruzek, Kim Burgess, Dante Torres and Eva Imani.
And in Season 13, Episode 5, Atwater reunited with Officer Tasha Fox, an old friend who later became his girlfriend. That same night, Tasha told him she was moving to Miami for a new job. She left before Atwater woke up the next morning, leaving behind an orange as a reminder of her new home in Florida and inviting him to join her. Throughout the season, Atwater wanted to contact Tasha and even started writing texts saying he missed her, but never sent them.
Tasha returned to Chicago in Episode 11 and told Atwater she was pregnant with their first child. So, if Atwater leaves Chicago for Miami to be with Tasha and their baby, it would not come as a surprise.
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As per People, speaking to the outlet for its 2025 Sexiest Man Alive issue, Hawkins reflected on his time on the show. “I’ve had some great roles over time and I’ve been able to learn from all of them in different ways,” he said, “but the longevity and the consistency that I’ve been able to create with learning from Kevin Atwater has really strengthened my confidence more than anything.”
“The nature of the role being a first responder, being the only Black cop in the unit, it’s a combination of so many things that, honestly, really contributes to feeling very confident and grateful in my skillset over time,” Hawkins continued. “I think the longevity on this show has allowed me just the time and the space to just learn and grow. And I feel so much more confident and comfortable on camera now.”
Chicago P.D. season 14 premieres on Wednesday, October 7.