Bobby J. Brown Passes Away at 62: 'The Wire' Star's Cause of Death Confirmed

Beloved HBO hit series 'The Wire' star, Bobby J. Brown, has sadly passed away at the age of 62. The actor played the Western District veteran Officer Bobby Brown on the series, which ran from 2002 to 2008. Brown's daughter, Reina has confirmed that her father died on Tuesday, 24 February, after being caught in a barn fire.

Bobby J. Brown's Cause of Death

Brown was tragically caught in a barn fire and unfortunately died from smoke inhalation. His daughter believes that the actor did not suffer from burns he incurred from the terrible blaze.

TMZ reported on Thursday that the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed that Brown's cause of death was ruled diffuse thermal injury and smoke inhalation, and the manner of death was determined to be an accident.

The tragic accident started when Brown entered the barn to jump-start a vehicle, an old Cadillac.

A few moments later, the actor called for a family member to get a fire extinguisher, but unfortunately, by the time that the family got to the barn to put the fire out, the barn was already engulfed in flames.

The outlet also reported that Brown's wife tried to save the actor but only suffered severe burns

The actor's daughter also said that his father was a devout Jehovah's Witness, and a funeral service is being planned.

Meanwhile, Brown's agent, Albert Bramante, said in a statement that he was 'deeply saddened' about the tragic news. He said, 'We are deeply saddened by the loss of Bobby J. Brown. Bobby was a tremendously talented actor who approached every role with a rare level of dedication and passion. He was a true professional and a joy to have on our roster. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones. We ask that their privacy be respected as they navigate this unimaginable loss.'

Bobby J. Brown's Life and Filmography

Robert Joseph Brown, also known by his screen name Bobby J. Brown, was born and raised in Washington, DC. Before he became an actor, he was an amateur boxer with a record of 73-13 and won five Golden Glove championships, and fought future superstar Pernell 'Sweet Pea' Whitaker three times and won once.

Brown made his onscreen debut in 1998 on an episode of NBC's Homicide: Life on the Street, on which David Simon served as a writer and producer, and he also acted for Simon on two HBO miniseries set in Baltimore, the 2000s The Corner and We Own This City, a mini TV series in 2022.

Brown gained prominence in 'The Wire,' which was also created by Simon. He appeared on 12 of the series' 60 episodes over its five-season run. The character is said to be an homage to an actual Western District patrolman named Bob Brown.

The actor is also remembered for his roles on Law & Order: SVU from 2001 to 2004 and also showed up in films such as City by the Sea (2002), My One and Only (2016), Fishbowl (2018), Miss Virginia (2019), Really Love (2020), and Off-Time (2022).

Based on IMDb, Brown starred in a 2023 short film titled Mailman, directed by Nicholas Pelecanos. The film appears to be his last film before passing away.

'My dad was an amazing human being,' Reina said. 'He was super awesome. He was a pillar in the community, and he's going to be missed by a lot of people,' she said to PEOPLE.