5 reasons Chicago PD will regret losing Antonio Dawson

3. His no-nonsense approach

Let’s face it, the Intelligence Unit is a pretty volatile place to work. The boss can be pretty hard on everyone, the cases are often likely to get someone hurt or almost killed, and there’s always some kind of awkward personal entanglement or other issue that creates tension for somebody either in or out of the office. But Antonio Dawson was always the stabilizing influence.

Antonio’s a character that you have to push pretty hard to get him to a breaking point; he’s lost it a few times over the years, but always with very good reason, like the fact that both of his kids have been kidnapped over six seasons. Generally, when other people are short-tempered or feeling lost, Antonio’s there to diffuse the situation or provide some perspective.

And that’s important on Chicago PD, which prides itself on being gritty and dark. The show always goes to rough places, and it’s full of characters with strong personalities. It needs somebody who can take things down a few notches and stay the course.

Of all the cops we’ve seen in the One Chicago franchise, Antonio is really the best example of what a police officer should be. He shows up and does his job consistently well, keeps a cool head and a strict moral code. All of the other characters have let outside opinions or pressures influence them but Antonio, for the most part, stays above all that. He doesn’t mess around, and that’s what has made him such a good person to have on the team.