Katie Morales

> "I’m a single mom Army veteran with mild PTSD and anxiety, of course I’m overthinking this."
>
> - to Adam Ruzek

Senior Detective **Katie Stephanie Morales** is a main character on *Chicago PD* and a recurring character on *Chicago Fire* and *Chicago Med*. She was also a recurring character on *Chicago Justice*. She is a member of Sergeant Hank Voight's CPD Intelligence Unit and is partnered with her boyfriend, Detective Jay Halstead and formerly with Detective Antonio Dawson. She is the youngest child and only daughter of Bureau of Detectives Chief Alex Morales, the younger sister of firefighter Javier Morales, Detective Mateo Morales, ASA Rafael Morales as well as the adopted mother of Ricardo Velasco-Morales. She was formerly a Sergeant in the United States Army, where she was deployed as a medic in Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne.

## Biography

### Early Life

Katie was born in Chicago in 1988, the daughter of Chicago Police Bureau Chief of Detectives Alex Morales and epileptic school teacher Stephanie Morales. As the only girl in her family she was always more comfortable around men than women and has a great relationship with her brother, Javier.

She joined the Army right out of high school. She met her later army partner, Angelica Velasco during training and was sent to Afghanistan with her not long after she finished her training. One day while called out to help medically in the field, an IED hit the humvee that she and her partner were in and it flipped three times. She escaped with injuries but her friend died on impact, leaving a husband and infant son.

A couple months after that, Katie came back home after requesting and being granted an honorable discharge and went off the deep end for a while. She described this time as nothing but “drink, sleep, and screw” to Hailey.

After her family started reaching out to her with no avail, Hank Voight—a family friend—stepped in and brought her to a rehab center and got her help.

A few months after rehab, she reconnected with her best friend, Angelica’s widower, Johnny and met Ricky, Angelica’s son. Katie started hanging around and taking care of Ricky while Johnny went to group therapy. For a while it seemed to be going well for both of them.

One day Katie received a phone call from Johnny that made her rush to his house and kicked down his locked bathroom door. She found him unresponsive in the bathtub.

After the death of Johnny, Katie received the information that in the couple's will, Johnny and Angie put for her to take care of Ricky. Wanting to honor her late friends, Katie took in Ricky as her own with almost no hesitation, much to the behest of her family.

## Chicago P.D.

Katie joined intelligence around the same time as Jay Halstead and was partnered with Antonio Dawson originally. After the departure of Erin Lindsay to the FBI, she was then partnered with Jay Halstead, with whom she relates to on a personal level.

## Personality

While on the job, Katie is serious and level-headed. Her Army training has helped her become an effective and competent Detective. It has also helped her to maintain an air of professionalism.

It is noted by Jay that it's very hard to read her emotions because she's very good at keeping her demeanor calm and expressionless and that *no one could figure out when she was about to snap. When she would explode and reach across the conference table. Her stoic expression and the mask of patience, you’d never know when you were at the end of her wrath until it was too late.*

She is shown in her personal life to be a little less serious, putting on a mask of flippancy and playfulness around her family and coworkers during their off hours. Some of this will seep out occasionally while at work and she'll slip a witty or sassy remark with an air of playfulness.

## Relationships

### Romance

#### **Jay Halstead**

***Main article: Morstead***

Originally Jay and Katie’s relationship was rocky as he believed she got her position in intelligence because her father is a Bureau Chief and she knew Hank Voight personally, but slowly their relationship began to smooth out; both became good friends and partners with one another as time went on since Lindsay left for New York. Throughout their time as partners, they have relied on each other as confidants and for comfort.

After a while, it became clear that they were more than friends, but Katie kept her distance from him because of her responsibilities with Ricky that she has said will always be a priority for her over everything else. It became clear that Halstead was fine with the arrangement and they started seeing each other.

In season 7, after he gets shot, Katie begins the process of moving in with Halstead.

Ricky, Katie, and Jay are all officially living together as of the season 8 premiere.

##### **Key "Morstead" Moments**

* They constantly say "I got your back", "I've always got your back" and "till the world stops spinning".
* After Jay gets put on desk duty after his affair with Camila, Hailey and Katie have a conversation where Hailey says "You’re worried about him because you love him" and Katie responds with "Of course I love him, he's my partner."
* They each wear the other’s Army dog tags under their shirts

#### **Moises Cortés**

Katie had a brief relationship with Moises through the end of season 3 and through early season 4. Originally Katie had told Jay that the relationship had just “fizzled out.” Later, Katie specifies that the two broke up after Moises found out she was a single mom, citing that “no one wants to date a single mom of an eight-year-old.”

### Family

#### **Javier Morales**

Javier is the oldest of Katie’s brothers and a firefighter at Firehouse 51. He and Katie are shown to be really close as he is the go-to babysitter for her. Katie states that he also helped her with her homework when she was a kid and taught her how to drive. He was already starting the CFD academy by the time she was 11.

Out of all her siblings, Javier is the one we see the most interaction with.

#### **Mateo Morales**

Mateo is the second oldest of Katie’s brothers and works with Sex Crimes at the 12th precinct. Katie states that they aren’t necessarily close though Mateo isn’t really close to anyone. Despite this, she is shown to care deeply about him as she defended him and him being gay when she joined the department and was crushed when she found him half-dead in a suspect’s home.

#### **Rafael Morales**

Rafael is the second youngest of the Morales siblings. He works as an ASA at the Assistant State’s Attorney’s office. Katie states that when she was a kid she was closest to Rafael since they were the youngest, but it changed as she got older.

#### **Alex Morales**

Alex is Katie’s father and the Chicago Police Bureau Chief of Detectives. Katie’s relationship with her father is strained as he has always been tough on her and has an opinion about everything she’s done in her life. Their relationship started to mellow out a bit and Katie’s been closer to him.

#### **Stephanie Morales**

Stephanie is Katie’s mother and a school teacher with Donna Boden, the wife of Firehouse 51 chief, Wallace Boden. Katie is shown to absolutely adore her mother, preferring her mother’s company over her father’s. Later, it’s shown that while neither one of her parents was overjoyed about Katie joining the Army, Stephanie was at least supportive of the decision when Alex was not.

#### **Ricky Velasco-Morales**

Ricky is Katie’s adoptive son and the biological child of her Army partner Angelica Velasco. When Angie’s widower, Johnny killed himself, it was written in the couple’s will that they wanted Katie to be his guardian. Guilt-ridden over Johnny’s death and wanting to honor her friend, Katie agreed to take Ricky in at the behest of her family who didn’t approve at first. Katie states that she is the only mother Ricky has ever known and she never really thought about having any kids after him since she got custody of him at 23.

### Friends

#### **Angelica Velasco**

Angelica was known as Angie and was Katie’s partner in Afghanistan. She got pregnant sometime during their deployment and went on maternity leave. She returned to Afghanistan to finish her tour where she died on impact in a humvee that was hit by an IED. Katie made a promise to her that she would look after her family. She feels guilt over this promise when Angie’s widower kills himself, but wanting to honor Angie, Katie agrees to take custody of Angie’s son, Ricky.

#### **Johnny Velasco**

Johnny was the widower of Katie’s Army partner, Angelica, and eventually became a good friend.

After her stint in rehab, Katie started hanging around and taking care of Ricky while Johnny went to group therapy. For a while it seemed to be going well for both of them.

One day Katie received a phone call from Johnny that made her rush to his house and kicked down his locked bathroom door. She found him unresponsive in the bathtub where he had slit his wrists. This suicide has affected Katie for a long time and the first time she talked at length about it was to Jay.

#### **Maddie Bishop**

Maddie and Katie met at a Women in Combat Veterans Support group that Maddie was running at the local VA. The two hit it off right away, becoming fast friends. Maddie then brings a case to Katie for Intelligence to look at. Maddie meets Katie’s work family and catches the eye of Kevin Atwater. They are shown after the case to be close friends still and get drinks at *Molly’s* on occasion.

#### **Kim Burgess**

Katie and Kim are coworkers in the Intelligence Unit. The two met while Kim was still on patrol. Kim seemingly goes to Katie for advice and Katie seems to enjoy being in her company. Along with Hailey Upton, she has said that as female cops that they have to have each other's backs.

#### **Hailey Upton**

Katie and Hailey are coworkers in the Intelligence Unit. Right away, Katie liked Hailey in how fearless she was in talking back to Voight. The two detectives have worked as partners many times and Hailey is the first person Katie confides in about her feelings for Jay. Along with Kim Burgess, she has said that as female cops that they have to have each other's back.

After Jay gets shot in *Mercy* and is put on desk duty, her and Katie become temporary partners by which time she becomes close to Katie's brother, Javier. As of season 8, her and Javier are dating and while Katie was apprehensive about their relationship, she still seems to support Hailey's relationship and judgment.

#### **Adam Ruzek**

It has been very rare to see Katie and Adam as partners but the exchanges between the two are filled with friendly banter. A lot of the time the pair interact, Katie lets out a sassy remark or gets Ruzek to focus when distracted.

#### **Kevin Atwater**

It has been very rare to see Katie and Atwater as partners but the exchanges between the two are filled with friendly banter and fist bumps that indicate a level of friendship.

#### **Firehouse 51**

With Javier having been a part of 51 since Katie was 11, Katie has a great rapport with everyone at the firehouse. Katie will often drop Ricky off at the firehouse when she can't find a babysitter as well as help out 51 with any police needs.

In *Don't Bury This Case*, she tells Jay she can't turn off her phone in case there is an emergency with Ricky, even though it was ringing non-stop because, "*This is what happens when your team brings in the coworker of your brother.*" This implies that *everyone* at 51 has Katie's cell number.

### Partners

* Antonio Dawson
* Jay Halstead

## Notes and Trivia

* She uses a Glock 19
	+ She is also one of intelligence’s designated snipers after Alvin Olinsky and Jay Halstead.
* The awards on her dress blues include:
	+ The Police Blue Star Award
	+ A Department Commendation Award
	+ The Lifesaving Award
	+ NATO Summit Service Award
	+ Police Blue Shield Award
	+ Special Commendation Award
	+ Unit Meritorious Performance Award
* Unlike Hailey Upton, it is noted that she wasn't meritoriously promoted to the rank of "Detective"
* Her personal vehicle is a 2010 Honda Civic
* Her Badge number is 57937
* Her radio code is 50-21 Union
	+ She sometimes seemed to share codes with her first partner, Antonio Dawson as she used the same radio code, 50-21 Frank on some occasions.
	+ She sometimes seems to share codes with Jay Halstead as she has used the same radio code, 50-21 George, on some occasions.
* She told Jay that her brother Javier taught her how to drive on an Ambulance Rig
	+ In the same conversation she also told him that Christopher Herrmann and Randy "Mouch" McHolland also helped to teach her and that Firehouse 51 is basically family because she's known members of 51 since she was 11
* She was a combat medic with the 82nd Airborne Division, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 5th Squadron.
	+ She joked to Hailey that if Hailey broke Javier's heart then Hailey would have to deal with her and that she "was an Army Medic, I can break all your bones while naming them."
* She is the only other character besides Jay Halstead, Jeff Clarke, Ethan Choi and Greg "Mouse" Gerwitz in the entire One Chicago franchise with a military background and the first female character with one.
* She is a White Sox and Blackhawks Fan
* Unlike her brothers—who are all also born in the summer—her zodiac sign is Cancer