8 Crime Procedurals With Deaths That Still Hurt

Was Sergeant Mike Dodds (Andy Karl), son of Deputy Chief William Dodds (Peter Gallagher) the most liked the guy on the squad? No. After all, they didn’t choose him. But just as it seemed they would just be saying goodbye to him when he transferred out of SVU, he was shot on his last day, by a corrections officer (Brad Garrett) under investigation for assaulting inmates and holed up in his house. He eventually died of his injuries.

It may be hard to remember a time when Kensi (Daniela Ruah) and Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen) weren’t partners, but she first worked with rookie Dom (Adam Jamal Craig) in Season 1. He was kidnapped, then, just as the team found him, he was killed, taking bullets meant for Sam (LL Cool J).

Though we knew that Julian McMahon would be exiting, the stage was seemingly set for Jess LaCroix to simply go off and live his life, away from the bureau. But such would not be the case, as instead he was killed in the line of duty. Watching his team, girlfriend, and father mourn is something that will stand out as long as the series runs.

The Strategic Response Unit (SRU) ended up in dangerous situation time and time again and always managed to find a way out. And so it stood to reason that would be true after Lewis “Lou” Young (Mark Taylor) stepped on a landmine. Michelangelo “Spike” Scarlatti (Sergio Di Zio) in particular was determined to do anything to save his best friend, even at the risk to his own life, and Lou made the heartbreaking choice to sacrifice himself after it became clear there was nothing that could be done to save him.

Just as it looked like Rookie Blue was heading for a wedding — Jerry (Noam Jenkins) proposed to Traci (Enuka Okuma) on a knife! — tragedy struck. Gail (Charlotte Sullivan) was kidnapped after going undercover for a case, and Jerry tracked the killer and her down but was stabbed in the process. He, however, did save her, by putting his phone in her abductor’s pocket. Seeing Traci find out was heartbreaking.

The Reaper (C. Thomas Howell) was (in)arguably the best Big Bad of the series’ original 15-year run. And when it became clear that Hotch’s (Thomas Gibson) family was in danger, his ex-wife Haley (Meredith Monroe) and their son Jack went into witness protection. But the Reaper was able to track them down, and Hotch and the rest of the BAU could only listen as he killed Haley. That phone call is easily one of the most memorable scenes of the entire series.

In the Season 2 finale, the concern was that Gibbs’ (Mark Harmon) life was in danger. Kate (Sasha Alexander), calling on her experience with the Secret Service, was on protection duty — and then just as the job seemed over, after she took a bullet in the vest for Gibbs, she was mid-sentence (“I thought I’d die before I ever-“) when she was shot in the head by Ari Haswari (Rudolf Martin).

Which hurt more: Sweets’ (John Francis Daley) death, while helping Booth (David Boreanaz), with the FBI agent and Brennan (Emily Deschanel) by his side, as he was about to become a father, or the following episode, in which his friends said goodbye? All of it, really. We may never get over it.