[This story contains Major spoilers for the April 17 episode of 911, ‘Lab Rats.’]

For the first time in eight seasons, 911 has killed off a member of its core cast.

In the ABC drama’s April 17 episode, titled “Lab Rats,” L.A. Fire Capt. Bobby Nash (Peter Krause) sacrifices his own life to save members of his crew. Bobby shares a final moment with his wife, LAPD Sgt. Athena Grant-Nash (Angela Bassett), before succumbing to a deadly virus he and his fellow firefighters had been trying to contain.

In a long statement about his departure from the show, Krause acknowledges that longtime viewers of the show may be “upset by this loss, and they have a right to be. It is a loss.” But he also defends the decision by co-creator and showrunner Tim Minear, who told The Hollywood Reporter that “It makes sense for his character to have a tragic sacrifice as a conclusion of his entire journey in the show.