Mehcad Brooks has solved his last case on “Law & Order” after three seasons, TheWrap has learned.
The actor, who joined the cast as a series regular in Season 22 as Detective Jalen Shaw, has left the series ahead of Season 25. The decision was mutual from both Brooks and the show’s creative team, as the actor pursues other opportunities.
It’s unclear if Brooks’ character will receive a farewell on the show or if his exit will be explained off-camera. Casting is underway for a new detective to join the cast in his absence.
The rest of the “Law & Order” team is set to return for the milestone season. That includes Tony Goldwyn and Reid Scott, whose contracts were also up for renewal this year. The rest of the ensemble includes Maura Tierney, Hugh Dancy and Odelya Halevi.
Detective Shaw joined the “Law & Order” team after the exit of Anthony Anderson’s Kevin Bernard. The character often headlined intricate cases exploring the dynamics of being a Black man in the police force.
“There’s a system in place that is filled with traps for people,” Brooks told TheWrap in a 2022 interview. “Jaylen being a Black man who is a cop — not a cop who’s Black — he understands that there’s a system that was put in place centuries ago that every Black person has to fight against. Maybe you can escape it, maybe you can’t … He never wanted to be the guardian of that system.”
Brooks is currently recurring on Season 3 of HBO Max’s “And Just Like That.” He will also appear in “Mortal Kombat 2,” set for release later this year.
“Law & Order” is executive produced by Dick Wolf, Rick Eid, Alex Hall and Peter Jankowski. It’s produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Stuido Group, in association with Wolf Entertainment.
The show is set to return for Season 25 this fall on NBC.
