Detective Chester Lake, played by Adam Beach, was written off from “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” at the end of Season 9. He was involved in a controversial shooting and, refusing to cooperate with the investigation, was arrested for the murder of a police officer.
In more detail, Detective Chester Lake’s departure from SVU was the culmination of his character’s storyline in the episode “Cold,” which was the finale of the ninth season. Throughout the season, Lake was portrayed as a passionate and sometimes impulsive detective, which ultimately led to his downfall. In the episode, Lake and Detective Fin Tutuola, played by Ice-T, investigate a case involving the murder of a police officer. They discover that the bullets used in the murder match those from an unsolved case that Lake had previously worked on.
Convinced that the suspect in the old case was the killer, Lake takes matters into his own hands and confronts the suspect, resulting in the suspect’s death. However, the evidence does not conclusively prove that the suspect was the cop killer, and Lake’s actions are seen as reckless and unjustified. When the Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB) investigates the shooting, Lake refuses to reveal where he got the information that led him to the suspect, as it would implicate a confidential informant.
Lake’s refusal to cooperate with the IAB and his actions lead to his arrest for the murder of the police officer. The episode ends with Lake in handcuffs, and it is implied that he will face serious charges. This marked the end of Adam Beach’s tenure on the show, as his character was written out, leaving his fate somewhat ambiguous but clearly indicating that his career in law enforcement was over.
