Antonio Dawson

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Antonio Dawson
Antonio Dawson
First appearance	CF: "Professional Courtesy" (episode 1.03) CPD: "Stepping Stone" (episode 1.01) CJ: "Fake" (episode 1.01)
Last appearance	CPD: "Reckoning" (episode 6.22)
Created by	Matt Olmstead
Portrayed by	Jon Seda
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Occupation	Chief Investigator, Cook County ASA's Office (formerly) Detective, CPD Boxing coach/trainer (off-duty)
Family	Ramón Dawson (father) Camilla Dawson (mother) Gabriela Dawson (sister)
Spouse	Laura (divorced)
Significant other	Sylvie Brett (ex-girlfriend)
Children	Diego Dawson (son) Eva Dawson (daughter)
Relatives	Matthew Casey (former brother-in-law)[1]
Nationality	American
Police career
Department	Chicago Police Department Intelligence Unit Vice Squad (CF: S1)
Years of service	2000s – 2019
Rank	Senior Detective
Badge No.	50259

Antonio Dawson, portrayed by Jon Seda, is a fictional character in the Chicago franchise and is a main character in Chicago P.D. and Chicago Justice. He was introduced as a recurring character on Chicago Fire before the spin-off Chicago P.D. was created. He is the former second-in-command of the Intelligence Unit of the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and regularly appears on Chicago Fire. He is also the older brother of Gabriela "Gabby" Dawson, formerly a paramedic-turned-firefighter at Firehouse 51.

The character is first introduced in Chicago Fire as one of several recurring characters from the CPD who cross paths with the firefighters. In October 2016, Seda confirmed that the character would move to the third spin-off Chicago Justice, debuting in March 2017, after resigning from his position in the CPD to take up a job with the State's Attorney's Office.^[2] After the cancellation of Chicago Justice, the character is written to have returned to the CPD due to his frustration with the bureaucratic red tape he often encounters.

Antonio Dawson has two kids. However, subsequent events in Season 1 and Dawson's dedication to his job take a toll on his and his wife's marriage, resulting in his wife leaving with their two children.^[3] They eventually divorce under acrimonious terms, and she prevents the children from seeing their father for some time. Eva took it particularly hard and even resorted to running away to see her father. The custody issue was never fully explained on the show; the children live with their mother, and Dawson keeps in touch with them by phone.

Dawson was raised Catholic and once quipped to Olinsky about being "in a confessional every other day" as a boy.^[4] A boxing enthusiast (like actor Jon Seda), he had a difficult adolescence, and boxing was his outlet, as shown by the fact that he runs his own gym and moonlights as a trainer when off duty. He is the older brother of Chicago Fire character Gabriela "Gabby" Dawson. The siblings come from a large extended family and share a close relationship.

The character is frequently seen on Chicago Fire and was first introduced in the episode "Professional Courtesy" after Gabby and her colleagues from Firehouse 51 rescue a boy and his father in a car accident caused by a drunk Justin Voight, Hank's son. He is generally well-liked by the firefighters at 51.

Before transferring to Intelligence, Dawson worked on the Vice Squad. He was partnered with Detective Julie "Jules" Willhite, with whom he shared a close friendship until she was killed by drug lord Andres "Pulpo" Diaz in "Stepping Stone."^[5]

It has been mentioned by Gabriela Dawson that Antonio Dawson is in the crisis response team in the Bahamas in "Best Friend Magic".