What happened to Sal Ortiz on Chicago PD?
Sal Ortiz (Richard Chavira) had a reputation that preceded him. Ruzek (Patrick Flueger) sang his praises before the cop showed up on Chicago PD, and he even considered him to be a mentor during his early days on the force.
The perfection of Ortiz as a hero changed, however, in the episode “End of Watch”. The cop was brought in to work a case alongside the IU, and the closer they got to the truth, the more it was revealed that Ortiz was involved.
Here’s what you need to know about the character and his ultimate fate.
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Ruzek’s fandom of Ortiz took a hit early on in the episode, when the two men were involved in a shootout. The former kicked down a door that had gunfire waiting behind it, but instead of cover him, Ortiz decided to hide and protect himself. Ruzek was both hurt and offended by the decision, despite Ortiz’s excuses.
In the end, it’s revealed that Ortiz masterminded the entire crime as a means of ensuring money for his retirement. He ran into some bad luck professionally, and had spent the last several years paying for his wife’s medical treatments.
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Things reach such a point of desperation for Ortiz that he pulls a gun on Ruzek and Voight (Jason Beghe), despite knowing that he has no way out of his scheme. His delusion, or maybe even his arrogance, gets the best of him. Ruzek and Voight convince Ortiz that if he puts the gun down and goes quietly with them, they will let him go. He does just that, and is promptly escorted into police custody.
Ortiz is currently serving prison time for his crimes. Noble though his reasons may have been, he broke the law, and couldn’t be allowed to walk around under the guise of a police badge. It’s not clear whether Ortiz will ever return to the show, but given the severity of his crimes, it’s highly unlikely.
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