According to TVLine, the showrunner of "9-1-1: Lone Star," said the decision to kill Charles off the show was meant to boost Gina Torres' character in terms of storytelling. Showrunner Tim Minear asked, "On one hand, killing off Derek seemed like a gamble, but was it really? I knew I'd be giving Gina Torres an acting showcase." While actor Derek Webster was only meant to play a recurring character on the show, he was cast in additional projects, prompting some viewers to blame the exit on his availability. Minear said that wasn't the case. "It's not like Derek's people told me I couldn't have him next year," he told the publication, adding that he received pushback from his own staff due to Webster's likability and work ethic.
Webster, who was cast in Lee Daniels' Fox drama "Our Kind of People" at the time, has since moved onto other projects. He currently stars as Stevie, a police officer, on the Paramount+ drama "Mayor of Kingstown," which also stars Jeremy Renner and Kyle Chandler (per Deadline).
