Camilla Jessen
Authorities confirmed his death followed a late-night fire in Maryland.
Bobby J. Brown, known to many viewers for his role as Baltimore police officer Bobby Brown on HBO’s The Wire, has died at the age of 62 following a barn fire in Maryland.
The Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed that Brown died on Tuesday, 24 February, as a result of diffuse thermal injury and smoke inhalation. His death was ruled accidental.
According to his daughter Reina, the family learned of the tragedy late that night. Speaking to PEOPLE, she said she had been asleep for only a couple of hours when she received a call around 11:30 p.m.
“I was sound asleep. I had gone to bed about two hours before,” she said. “My little sister [was] freaking out, saying that Dad’s gone and that he got caught up in a barn fire, and I’m like, ‘What do you mean?’”
Reina described stepping outside her home in disbelief.
“I literally went outside and put both my feet on my front walk. It’s cold, and I stood out in my bare feet in a nightgown because I wanted to make sure I was really awake. I did that to make sure I was in actual reality and not dreaming this up.”
She also told the outlet that when the fire broke out, her father had called a family member for a fire extinguisher in an attempt to put out the flames himself.
Tributes to a respected performer
Brown’s agent, Albert Bramante, paid tribute in a statement, praising his client’s dedication and character. He spoke of Brown’s “immense talent” and “even greater integrity,” adding that he approached his work with “discipline and a passion that were truly inspiring.”
A graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Brown appeared in a range of television productions including Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Homicide: Life on the Street, The Corner and We Own This City. He also directed two documentaries, Off the Chain and Tear the Roof Off: The Untold Story of Parliament Funkadelic.
Reina described her father as “an amazing human being” and “a pillar in the community,” saying her faith is helping her cope as the family continues to process the loss.
Sources: PEOPLE, Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
