The latest episode of Chicago PD put Kevin Atwater and Tasha Fox in the middle of a very bad situation. What started as a simple dinner date quickly turned into a murder investigation. The couple found themselves trying to save a young girl’s life. But her death led them down a dark path involving rich kids, family secrets, and a cover-up.
The episode, titled “The Wicked River,” aired on NBC on April 22, 2026 at 10:00 PM EST. It is now available for streaming on Peacock. Here is everything that happened.
A Dinner Date Interrupted by a Nightmare
Tasha and Atwater were finally having the hard conversation. They sat down for dinner to talk about their unborn baby. Tasha shared her plan to have the child in Miami. She already bought a place there and found a doctor. She told Atwater that she is used to doing things alone.
Kevin Atwater did not like the idea. He wanted his first child to be born in Chicago. He grew up in the city. His whole life is there. He told Tasha that moving to Miami felt like the “easier thing to do” rather than the right thing. The conversation was tense and awkward.
As they left the restaurant, they heard kids yelling. Someone was asking for an ambulance. Atwater ran toward the noise. He found a high school party that had gone very wrong.
Finding Emily Johnson Bleeding on the Floor
A girl named Emily Johnson was on the ground. She was bleeding badly. Her boyfriend, Ellis Powell, was kneeling next to her. His hands were shaking as he tried to stop the blood. The ambulance was taking too long.
Atwater sat down next to Emily. He told Ellis to keep pressure on the wound. Tasha looked around the scene. She saw broken glass and overturned chairs. The other kids at the party kept dancing and having fun. Nobody seemed to care that their host was dying.
Ellis told Atwater that he found Emily tied up and blindfolded upstairs. He said two men in masks attacked him from behind. When he woke up, Emily was already hurt. The ambulance finally arrived. But Emily died on the way to the hospital.
A Robbery That Turned Into Murder
Sergeant Hank Voight arrived at the scene. The team looked for clues. There had been two other robberies in the same area. It looked like a simple robbery gone wrong. But the case got more complicated when Burgess found a footprint at the scene. It matched a rare pair of sneakers.
Tasha noticed something else in a party photo. One of the suspects was wearing a class ring from a school far away. She and Atwater worked the case together. Tasha acted as a confidential source to help chase leads.
The evidence pointed to a man named Dwayne Coleman. He was selling stolen items from the robbery. But when the team found him, things got worse. Ellis Powell stabbed Dwayne in broad daylight. He killed him to stop him from talking.
Ellis Powell and the Family Secret
Ellis Powell came from a rich family. His father, Alan Powell, was a lawyer. Alan tried to protect his son at every step. He questioned the police and demanded to know if they followed protocol. But the team figured out the truth.
It was not Alan protecting Ellis. It was Toni, Ellis’s mother. She covered up for her son. Alan had no idea that his car was used in the crimes. When he saw the video footage, he broke down. He was scared of his own son.
“The freakout over the footage was tense. It was interesting to see that not only was he terrified of his son, but he didn’t trust his wife much either.” – TV Fanatic recap
The team let Ellis go to trap him. They sent a text pretending to be his mother. The message told him to destroy the evidence. Ellis ran to a park to hide the murder weapon.
Atwater and Tasha Catch the Killer
Atwater chased Ellis into the park. He told Tasha to stay in the car. But she did not listen. Ellis found the hidden knife near a tree. He turned and attacked Atwater. The two men fought.
Tasha ran to help. She fought off Ellis. Atwater panicked for a moment. He thought Tasha got hurt. But she was fine. The baby was fine. Ruzek figured out Tasha was pregnant during all the commotion. He smiled and told Atwater, “Congratulations, Daddio”.
The team arrested Ellis. The case was closed.
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Making a Promise for the Future
After the case ended, Atwater took Tasha to a special place. He brought her to the playground across from the building where he grew up. He told her about his childhood. He used to bring his little brother and sister to the swings. He tried to act like he knew what he was doing.
He made a promise to himself back then. If he ever had a kid, he would do it for real. No pretending.
Atwater told Tasha that he understood her fears. They barely know each other. Having a baby together is scary. But he told her he is all in.
Tasha admitted the truth. She hates Miami. She is lonely there. She misses him. She is scared and needs to know that this is real. Atwater made her a deal. She stays in Chicago. They take things day by day. They make it real together.
The episode ended with the couple finally on the same page. The baby will be born in Chicago. And they will figure out their relationship one day at a time.
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