One of the fan-favorite characters from the One Chicago Universe is the character of the devoted police officer Antonio Dawson, played by actor Jon Seda. The character has been a part of the universe ever since the very first season. Dawson also appeared in shows of the same universe as Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Justice. However, the sixth season of Chicago P.D. set up Dawson's exit from the franchise.
Though his beloved character's final departure is depicted as occurring because of relapsing into drug addiction, Jon Seda left "Chicago PD" for artistic reasons.
What happens to Detective Antonio Dawson in Chicago P.D.?
The reason behind Antonio's departure from Chicago P.D. is given to the viewer ever since the very beginning of the sixth season. In the third episode of the season Bad Boys, his shoulder got injured while chasing a criminal. To control his acute shoulder pain, Antonio got addicted to the painkillers. Thanks to his addiction, Detective Dawson starts protecting the drug dealer who provides him with the painkillers. But things take a turn when the dealer is raided by someone else, and his cousin Jason Rizzo swears retribution.
In the episode titled Descent, Rizzo has abducted Dawson's daughter. Later, Antonio is able to locate Rizzo at an unused building. When the kidnapper makes some inappropriate comments about his daughter, Antonio pushes him off the building, killing him. After learning that Antonio was on painkillers at the time, Sergeant Henry "Hank" Voight and Adam Ruzek decide to cover Dawson's actions. Ruzek decides to take the fall, and Voight orders Antonio to go to rehab, but Antonio regrets letting Ruzek take the fall.
This development starts to answer the question, "Why did Antonio leave Chicago PD?".
Why did Antonio leave Chicago P.D.?
The season six finale, Reckoning, answers the question, "Why did Antonio leave Chicago PD?" While Ruzek maintains the story that he was the one who was behind the killing, Antonio's guilt intensifies as the Internal Affairs investigation probes Rizzo's death. The evidence from the investigation points the finger at Antonio, but Ruzek still maintains the cover story. The last time viewers see Antonio is in the last and twenty-second episode of season six called Reckoning, where he takes the painkiller again.
What happens to Detective Antonio Dawson in Chicago PD?
In the very first episode of the seventh season, the Intelligence Unit finds Antonio's home in disarray and the man missing. Voight, afterwards, confesses to checking Antonio into a rehab that's off the books. Episode 3 reveals Dawson tendered his formal resignation to the Chicago P.D., and he is currently living close to his loved ones in Puerto Rico.
Why did Jon Seda leave Chicago P.D.?
Jon Seda's exit from Chicago P.D. was first reported in April 2019 by Deadline. Everyone supposedly felt that Antonio Dawson's character over the course of the show had played out, with nothing left to offer. Furthermore, according to the report, the departure was amicable, and the actor was still liked by the producers. He returned to NBC as Dr. Sam Velez in the sci-fi series La Brea in 2021.
Apart from La Brea, fans have also speculated that Seda may return to Chicago P.D. as Antonio Dawson. When asked about a potential return, Seda said:
“Antonio didn’t die. He’s still alive.”
However, the return is not official as of yet.
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You can learn if Detective Antonio Dawson returns or not by catching Chicago P.D. on air on NBC. All the seasons of the show and the rest of the universe are also available to stream on Peacock.
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