5 reasons we admire Chicago PD’s Kevin Atwater

1. Atwater the role model

The most admirable thing about Kevin Atwater is that Chicago PD has made clear police work isn’t just about catching bad guys to him. Atwater cares about his community, especially when it comes to helping children and teenagers in need. He’ll go the extra mile and then some to help people, to a fault. We saw that in “Captive” when he gave his number to Joe Baker’s sister and told her to call if she ever needed anything.

He didn’t have to do that, but he did. He’s not shy about talking about how he feels when it comes to representing his community and being a person of color in the police force. That’s what this last episode drove home, as Atwater poured his heart out about how much it hurt him to have killed a young black man, even though he was completely justified in doing so. He’s got a big conscience, and that’s something that everybody could benefit from.

One of the great messages of the One Chicago franchise is how these heroes care about their city and the people in it. Kevin Atwater is one of the best examples of that. He doesn’t just want to do his job; he wants to set a positive example, and he cares about the consequences of his actions. It is his biggest strength, and the biggest reason why we love him.

Next: What did we learn from this week's Chicago PD?

What do you love about Kevin Atwater on Chicago PD? Tell us your favorite things about Atwater in the comments.

Chicago PD airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on NBC.