When Chicago P.D. first premiered it didn’t take long for the NBC nail-biter to prove that no one in the Intelligence Unit was ever truly safe. Among the earliest and most memorable examples was Sheldon Jin, played by Archie Kao.
As one of the original members of the Intelligence Unit in Season 1, Jin was also one of the show’s first major losses, a death that left viewers stunned and set the tone for the emotional stakes that would come to define P.D. Jin’s shocking demise marked the first of many turning points for Hank Voight (Jason Beghe), with Jin’s storyline proving that the dangers faced by the Intelligence Unit were not limited to the Windy City streets, but could easily strike from within.
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Over the series’ past 13 seasons, Jin’s character has become a cautionary tale as a haunting reminder of how secrecy can lead to ruin, remembered by longtime fans as one of the first deaths that truly made jaws drop.
Who was Sheldon Jin on Chicago P.D.?
Archie Kao’s Sheldon Jin was introduced in the pilot episode of Chicago P.D. as the Intelligence Unit’s tech expert and computer sleuth, often pulling up surveillance footage, communicating with different units, or tracking down crucial data for the squad.
While he wasn’t a field officer, Jin’s role was critical behind the scenes as he kept Intelligence connected and ahead of the game while providing the team the edge they needed for criminal takedowns. As Season 1 progressed, P.D. viewers learned that the uneasy Jin was trapped in a difficult position.
What happened to Sheldon Jin on Chicago P.D.?
As the Intelligence Unit continued to face threats on all sides, Jin found himself entangled in a web of secrecy after being coerced into reporting information to Internal Affairs as a mole. After Voight landed on the radar of a corrupt Internal Affairs official, Sergeant Edwin Stillwell (Ian Bohen), Jin found himself in a nefarious blackmail scenario after Stillwell leveraged his sick father’s gambling addiction against him.
Fearing consequences for his family, Jin reluctantly complied and began gathering information about Voight’s unit for the corrupt officer. Jin’s apprehensive betrayal put him in an impossible position while working with Voight and his colleagues. While he cared deeply for his fellow Intelligence Unit officers, the pressure from Stillwell left him struggling to find a balance.
Jin was a nervous wreck while operating under Stillwell’s orders, not gathering anything fruitful for the IAB commander due to the guilt of the directive. After Jin failed to complete Stillwell’s request and the investigation didn’t go his way, Stillwell took matters into his own hands.
The tragic way Sheldon Jin died on Chicago P.D.
Jin’s storyline became a ticking clock for Chihards, who sense his actions might catch up to him. While Jin eventually confessed to Voight about being a mole, Stillwell wasn’t going to let his scheme go belly-up without blood paid.
In the Season 1 finale (“A Beautiful Friendship”), hours before his death, Jin frantically packed his bags to leave, indicating that he knew his pending fate. Later, Voight was devastated to find Jin murdered with his throat slashed. It didn’t take long for Voight to deduce that Stillwell had something to do with Jin’s demise.
After Voight presented a heap of evidence against Stillwell, the IAB Sergeant threatened to take Voight down with him, but the Intelligence Unit commander didn’t care. After arresting Stillwell for Jin’s murder, Voight took money from his own savings and visited Jin’s parents to help pay off his father’s gambling debts.
Watch Chicago P.D. on Wednesdays at 10/9c on NBC and the next day on Peacock.
