On the CBS show S.W.A.T. , Jim Street doesn’t die or disappear; he leaves Los Angeles S.W.A.T. to lead the Long Beach S.W.A.T. team and effectively exits as a main character in season 7.

What happened to Street in the story?

In season 7, Street is revealed to be back working with Long Beach S.W.A.T., helping “whip them into shape” and even picking up the nickname “Hollywood.” He’s off-screen for the first few episodes, with other characters explaining that he’s away with that team.

In the episode “End of the Road,” the Long Beach and L.A. squads team up against a biker gang. During the operation, Street’s former boss in Long Beach, Sergeant Barry Jones, is shot and later dies from his injuries, which leaves a leadership gap in that unit.

Street then steps up, leads the Long Beach squad through the takedown of the gang leader, and proves himself as a leader rather than just the impulsive rookie he once was. After that success, he decides to stay in Long Beach, resigns from 20-Squad and the LAPD, and becomes the new commanding officer of Long Beach S.W.A.T.

Before he leaves, he shares an emotional goodbye with Hondo, telling him that Hondo first taught him how to be S.W.A.T., and then how to be a leader, and that the Long Beach team “needs a leader” now. It’s also revealed around this point in the canon that Street is engaged to Chris, confirming their relationship has moved forward off-screen.

What happened to Alex Russell (the actor)?

Alex Russell, who has played Jim Street since season 1, was quietly demoted from series regular status ahead of season 7. Instead of appearing in every episode, he came back only for a single episode in the final season to wrap up Street’s arc and give the character a proper send-off.

Fan reaction online has been pretty disappointed, with many viewers saying they wanted all the core characters in all of the final episodes and that Street’s limited presence made the last season feel incomplete for them. Some fans even posted that they were “done” with the show if he wasn’t going to be around regularly anymore.

Where Street ends up (big picture)

By the end of his run on S.W.A.T. (2017 series):

  • Street transfers back to Long Beach PD S.W.A.T. as team leader and is promoted to Sergeant II.
  • He leaves 20-Squad and the LAPD on good terms, after helping take down a major threat and proving his leadership.
  • His personal life has stabilized compared with his early, troubled seasons, with his engagement to Chris confirmed in the show’s character canon.

In other words, Street gets a “moving on and leveling up” exit rather than a tragic one: he’s alive, promoted, in a serious relationship, and leading his own team in Long Beach.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.