To find that perfect TV show is a rare feat. However, when you do come across one that pulls you in so deep, the characters then become a part of you and your everyday life. This is what Chicago PD has done to millions over the last six years.
Each character is someone that viewers can identify with. It doesn’t matter if you’re a cop or not, these are still regular people who just so happens to protect a community. So, when tragedy strikes, we feel their pain. Maybe it’s a child we got attached to or a local dealer who just wanted to feed his family and more. But what happens if the tragedy strikes one of their own?
Here are the 10 Most heartbreaking moments from Chicago PD. Crossover episodes will also be considered, even if the moment occurs within the other show’s half.
Death of Justin Voight (Start Digging)
Although Justin was not a series regular, we felt his death all the same. Justin was hard-headed but he was turning his life around. Recently married and with a newborn son, Justin was making positive moves toward a better future. In an attempt to help a friend, things went south and Justin was shot in the neck. Voight and Lindsay found him, rushed Justin to the hospital where he was pronounced brain dead in which the family decided to pull the plug not much later.
The emotions ran deep on the Season 3 finale as Voight went on a warpath to find his son’s killer. In a deserted construction site, on a rainy night, it all came to a climax. Voight and the team caught up with the killer and, on a personal request, the former wanted to be left alone with him. With the killer pleading for his life, Voight remained unfazed. When Erin showed up, it didn’t matter. A single gunshot was heard followed by a flashforward to Voight walking away from the man-made grave with his shovel.
Death of Nadia (Chicago Crossover)
Nadia was by far may be first CI fans fell in love with. A former hooker turned Administrative Assistant of the Unit, Nadia was solid, although she did have her demons. She never shied away from her past and when Erin needed her, Nadia showed up ready to take on the world. In Season 2, Nadia was kidnapped, raped, and then murdered by serial killer Dr. Greg Yates in a revenge tactic to get payback on the Unit for investigating him.
Her death let Chicago PD fans know this was not a PBS After School show. The Chicago streets were real and there were repercussions for every action. Her death shook the unit to its core and sent Erin to a place she almost didn’t return from.
Seeing Antonio Fall (Descent)
Although Antonio Dawson was not one of the favorites on the show, that doesn’t mean we were rooting for him to hit rock bottom. His issues with opioids was a turning point for his character. He had to deal with family issues and the possibility of being labeled a snitch, but the drug abuse was hard to watch.
Antonio needed help but refused to believe it. After an earlier incident which left him injured, Antonio became addicted to painkillers. This was tough to watch as Dawson has come across as the clean-cut guy but to see his demons come full circle was painful. His actions almost destroyed the team and his career.
The Departure of Erin Lindsay (Fork in the Road)
Losing a regular cast member is never easy for the viewers to take. Although we tend to know ahead of time this will happen (thanks to the media), seeing it play out on screen is still a hard pill to swallow. For fans of Chicago PD and Erin Lindsay, this was no different.
Erin was going through some pretty dark times before she left. With her mother Bunny back in the fold, Erin took a slip and indulged in alcohol and drugs. She didn’t have any glaring issues with her fellow officers but she felt her place on the team was not as rewarding as it once was. With an offer to join another unit, we would like to think she did just that to further her career.
Death of Alvin Olinsky (Homecoming)
I remember watching and thinking this can’t be real, Alvin will survive this. However, that was not the case. Chicago PD lost a great cop and friend, but viewers will always wonder if it had to really come to that. Alvin and Voight’s past were often linked to one another but did Olinsky deserve to die?
Leading to Olinsky’s incarceration, Voight wanted to take the heat for him and was set to confess to killing Bingham. But with Denny Woods ready to take whoever stepped up to the plate, he was more than willing to let Olinksy take the fall. While in jail, where was Alvin’s protection? As many criminals that The Intelligence Unit put away, Alvin’s was left alone. Everything moved so fast but for him to die such a violent death was unfair.
Diego Is Kidnapped (Wrong Side of the Bars)
What makes Chicago PD so gratifying is that tragedy can strike anyone at any time. For Antonio Dawson, it hit home, literally. When Antoni’s son Diego was kidnapped, the often cool Antonio became the next Voight. For this reason and others that come with the job, Antonio’s wife would later decide to divorce him; however, in a touching scene, she told him: “Do whatever it takes to bring our son home.” At that moment, the cop was gone and all that was left was a grieving father set on revenge.
Antonio wanted to play it by the books as usual while Voight had a different plan. It took Antonio’s wife to remind him that he was a great father, prompting Dawson to accept Voight’s strategy. This was personal but nevertheless too hard to watch. With cops and suspects dying, there was no telling if the writers were going to kill off Antonio’s son. Luckily, they didn’t.
The Death of Lexi Olinsky (Deathtrap)
Lexi was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. For such a beautiful girl to have her future snatched away was awful. For Alvin Olinsky, this was hard. While Voight lost his son, he was grown and made his choices in life. Lexi was different. During a party, the building caught on fire with Lexi trapped inside.
While Alvin was not living in the house at the times of her death, he was still on the property, just living in the garage. They were close and despite not giving her permission to be at the party, Alvin still felt guilt. It was hard on him and the rest of the unit as this was the second child of one of their own to die.
Kevin Is Forced To Move His Siblings (Home)
Growing up in Chicago is tough already. For Kevin Atwater, it is extra hard as he’s trying to police those same streets while attempting to raise his little brother and sister. While he’s risking his life, his siblings must walk around as if their brother is not viewed as the enemy. Tough life to live and one day, a price has to be paid.
Jordan, Atwater’s younger brother, witnesses a murder and is forced to testify by his sibling. That sets off a chain of events in the neighborhood which causes a kid to mistreat Vinessa (Atwater’s younger sister), prompting Jordan to go after the boy. Ultimately, Atwater realizes that his siblings can no longer live like this. Instead of having them in harm’s way, he decides to let go and send them to Texas.
Jay Halstead’s Heartache (Reform)
In two episodes, Jay Halstead had to deal with a wide range of emotions with little to no time to get his head straight. In the Season 5 opener, he is dealing with Erin’s absence. He then gets stuck with a new partner and just as quickly, things go sideways. In a shootout, Jay opens fire and accidentally strikes a young girl. Later at the hospital, it is announced that she didn’t make it. With Internal Affairs and the community breathing down his neck, Jay begins to spin out of control.
Jay’s next assignment hits close to home as an Army Veteran becomes involved with a crew of kidnappers holding kids for ransom. Halstead went in too deep, fell for the POI sister, and began to unravel before being pulled back in. Was it the departure of Lindsay or was he still dealing with the trauma from indirectly shooting the little girl? We almost lost Jay to darkness.
Ruzek Betraying Voight (End of the Road)
Your leader is your leader, no matter what. For members of The Intelligence Unit, this is no different. Hank Voight may be stuck in his ways and can be hard to get along with; however, at the end of the day, he has your back. This is what Adam Ruzek forgot when he was asked to take down his boss.
Voight’s heart was broken, this time from one of his own. Dealing with Antonio and his betrayal was different. Voight expected that. But to have it done by someone he respects was a punch to the gut. Sending Al to bring him in was a smart move but the look on Ruzek’s face when Al pulled up to the secluded spot and Voight stepped out the truck was worth a million bucks.
