Elias Koteas plays detective Alvin Olinsky in over 100 episodes of "Chicago P.D.," with his final appearance in Season 5, Episode 22 marking his definitive exit from the franchise.

After that final episode of "Chicago P.D." Season 5 first aired back in May 2018, TVLine interviewed showrunner Rick Eid about the decision to kill off Alvin.

"From a creative perspective, it was a decision that evolved organically," he said, detailing how the series' writers landed on Alvin's death as a byproduct of a key storyline.

"From a business perspective, however, this was an extremely difficult decision," Eid continued, noting how Elias has "been an important part of the show since the very beginning."

Based on these comments, it’s safe to say that Koteas' series departure was only due to the notion that Alvin’s death was what was best for the series’ story at the time.