Avon Barksdale

Avon Randolph Barksdale is the dominant Heroine dealer in West Side Baltimore, heading the Barksdale Organization. He has been the focus of the BPD's Major crimes unit and their investigations into the drug trade in Baltimore, because of his brutal methods of sendng messages to rival dealers or anyone who crosses him. He serves as the main antagonist of the first  three seasons along with his best childhood friend and right hand man, Russell "Stringer" Bell.

Barksdale is portrayed by Wood Harris

Early Life
Barksdale grew up in the terrace high-rises. Although as of season 1 Barksdale had no criminal record—his juvenile record is said to have been expunged. Up until the Barksdale Investigation, Barksdale remained a furtive but increasingly powerful force on the west side of Baltimore's drug trade. Avon is the son of Butch Stamford, though no father is listed on his birth certificate. Stamford was an infamous Baltimore criminal, whose name is known by both the police and other drug traffickers. Avon, a former amateur boxer who once fought in a Golden Gloves  Tournament, was taught by his father how to survive in "the game " at an early age.

Season 1
Avon's errant nephew and lieutenant D'Angelo had murdered someone in public, so Avon has Stringer pay a witness, Nakeesha Lyles, to change her story in court. D'Angelo is acquitted and everythng goes as planned, but Avon chastises him for costing the organization time and money, and demoted him from the 221 Tower into "The Pit". Avon also arranged for Barksdale enforcer, "Bird" HIlton, to murder a second witness, William Gant, whom he had been unable to intimidate or bribe. The body was left on display outside the 221 Tower, to send a message to people who might consider testifying. D'Angelo was shaken by the murder of an innocent man and began to have second thoughts about his life, but Avon persuaded him to remain loyal to the family.

Avon was angered when The Pit's stash was robbed by legendary Baltimore stick-up man Omar Little, and he placed a heavy bounty on Omar and his crew (nearly doubling it upon realizing Omar was homosexual). Wee-Bey murdered a member of Omar's crew and Omar's lover Brandon was captured and tortured by Stringer, Wee-Bey, Bird and another enforcer named "Stinkum" Atris. In response, Omar killed Stinkum and wounded Wee-Bey in a gun battle, culminating with a failed assassination attempt on Avon outside of Orlando's. Wee-Bey managed to save Avon at the last minute.

The Pit was also subject to raids which seized a second resupply of narcotics and arrested a carrier Kevin Johnston and a dealer Robert Browning. The police also seized an entire day's profits from Wee-Bey, totalling $22,000. They also briefly seized a payment on its way to State Senator Davis but were forced to return it because of his political influence. The robbery and police activity combined raised suspicion that there was a leak in the pit, and an increasingly paranoid Avon ordered D'Angelo to remove the pay phones (which had indeed been wiretapped).

Barksdale's front man Orlando had been trying to take part in the drug trade, and Avon felt obliged to beat him, warning him that the only reason he was front man was because he was clean. Orlando persisted in trying to go into the business for himself, and was arrested by an undercover state police officer. Avon promptly has his name removed from the club's license. Orlando agreed to aid the police in their investigation, and Avon sent Wee-Bey, along with two other enforcers Little man and Savino Bratton to kill him. The job was complicated when they found a woman accompanying Orlando and Little Man panicked and shot her. Avon quickly learned that the woman was a Detective Kima Greggs.

The shooting of a detective led to a massive crackdown from the police. Savino was forced to turn himself in, but faced a sentence of just three years because he was not directly implicated in the shooting. Avon and Stringer held a crisis meeting with attorney Maurice Levy, who advised them to remove any possible loose ends. Avon ordered several murders, including unreliable enforcer Little Man, Nakeesha Lyles and a young dealer from The Pit named Wallace.

Avon finally incriminated himself on a hidden camera in his office sending D'Angelo to pick up a package of drugs. He was arrested on charges of possession with intent to distribute, but as this was the only arrest he had ever incurred he was sentenced to a total of seven years with possibility of parole.

 Season 2

Avon continued to run his organization from within the prison through Stringer. D'Angelo and Wee-Bey were imprisoned alongside Avon, both due to serve much longer terms. Wee-Bey informed Avon that a prison guard, namedTilghman, was harassing him, in retaliation for the murder of a relative. Avon tried to reason with Tilghman, but the guard refused to talk to him. Knowing that Tilghman had a side line in smuggling narcotics into the prison, Avon contrived to supply him with tainted heroin, causing numerous deaths. When the warden began an investigation, Avon came forth as an "informant", accusing Tilghman of the crime. Narcotics were found in Tilghman's car, and Avon's first parole hearing was brought forward in exchange for the information. Despite being the one ultimately responsible for the crime, he is due to be out of jail within a year. His nephew D'Angelo grows more distant from Avon, refusing to take part in the scheme, and seeming depressed, even turning to drug use. Without Avon's knowledge, Stringer has D'Angelo killed in a fake suicide, out of fear that D'Angelo has grown weak and will turn on the organiztion.

Because Avon's arrest was closely followed by the arrest of one of their suppliers, the New York-based Dominicans were suspicious that Avon might have named them to receive a lighter sentence, and the business relationship was brought to an end. Avon recommended secondary sources to Stringer but was unable to secure anything much better. Stringer suggested that they give up a portion of their territory to their rival Proposition Joe. Avon quickly dismissed the idea, reminding Stringer how hard they worked to seize the territory in the first place. Stringer eventually decided to allow Proposition Joe to move in despite Avon's order. Avon responded by contracting the feared enforcer for hire, Brother Mouzone, to defend his turf. After Mouzone had been shot by Omar (an assassination attempt which Stringer arranged, without Avon's consent or knowledge), Avon reluctantly agreed to Stringer's proposal.



