D'Angelo Barksdale

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D'Angelo Barksdale
First appearance	The Target (episode 1.01)
Last appearance	All Prologue (episode 2.06)
Cause/Reason	Murdered
Statistics
Gender	Male
Age	23
Year of Death	2003
Occupation	Crew Chief
Family	Brianna Barksdale (mother)
Children	one son
Relatives	Avon Barksdale (uncle)
Portrayed by	Larry Gilliard Jr.
Created by	David Simon

D'Angelo Barksdale is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire played by actor Larry Gilliard Jr. D'Angelo is the nephew of Avon Barksdale and a lieutenant in his drug dealing organization which controls most of the trade in West Baltimore.

[edit] Biography

Barksdale's nephew - son of his sister - rose through the ranks of the organization and was eventually given the high-rise tower of 221 West Fremont, lucruitive territory. In the lobby of that building is where he killed Dealer "Poo" Blanchard in a panic during an argument. In the series premiere, D'Angelo was shown on trial for this murder; however, his uncle coerced Nakeesha Lyles, one of the witnesses against him, to lie, and provided the organization's lawyer Maurice Levy to represent him. D'Angelo was thus acquitted.

As punishment for his carelessness in murdering "Poo" in front of witnesses, Avon demoted D'Angelo to running the drug crew in the low rise projects of West Baltimore. In this area, known as "the pit", he worked with Bodie Broadus, Malik "Poot" Carr, Wallace, Cass and Sterling. Though he was firm with his subordinates, he often hesitated when it came to the more brutal aspects of his business, such as the beating of Johnny Weeks. D'Angelo often struggled over control his brutal teenage second-in-command Bodie, and the two vied for power and respect. In once such exchange, D'Angelo falsely claimed responsibility for a second murder, Avon's girlfriend Deirdre Kresson. D'Angelo worked closely with enforcer Roland "Wee-Bey" Brice who was responsible for collecting money from the pit and providing them with muscle if needed. D'Angelo's drugs were delivered to the pit by fellow lieutenant Anton "Stinkum" Artis.

Over the course of the first season, D'Angelo grew more and more ambivalent about the drug trade. When William Gant, the one witness at his trial whom Avon had been unable to sway, turned up dead, D'Angelo was shaken. He was brought in for questioning and tricked into writing a letter of apology to Gant's family by detectives Jimmy McNulty and William "Bunk" Moreland. D'Angelo questioned his uncle, who evaded his accusations and persuaded him to remain loyal to the family.

Through his association with Wee-Bey, D'Angelo was sometimes peripherally involved in enforcement tasks. In reality, D'Angelo had been asked to deliver drugs to the girl he claimed to have murdered, Deirdre Kresson, and it was Wee-Bey who accompanied him and killed her. When Wee-Bey was involved in the shooting of a police officer D'Angelo was called in to meet with Stringer and Wee-Bey. Wee-Bey asked D'Angelo to take him to a basement apartment and when no one would explain what was happening D'Angelo believed he was going to be killed. Actually, Wee-Bey showed him how to feed his fish and asked him to drive him out to Philadelphia to go into hiding.

Despite turning a good profit D'Angelo's territory became a cause for concern when its stash was stolen and then was raided by the police in quick succession. D'Angelo was charged with checking his team for leaks by Avon's second-in-command Stringer Bell. He withheld his dealers pay for a time and found no leaks but realised that Cass and Sterling were stealing from him. He was lenient and demoted them but did not turn them over to Stringer. Avon placed a bounty on the crew that had robbed D'Angelo, led by Omar Little. Wallace and Poot identified Omar's boyfriend, Brandon in an arcade and D'Angelo relayed the message to Stringer who had Brandon captured, tortured and killed. D'Angelo's role in the death of Brandon also came to haunt him, though he continued to do his job.

D'Angelo had a son with his girlfriend Donette. She hoped to start a home for their family, but her nagging sometimes caused D'Angelo to distance himself from her. D'Angelo also dated a dancer from a club owned by his uncle, Shardene Innes, and they lived together for a short time. When Shardene was told by police that her friend Keesha had overdosed, died, and was left in a dumpster after attending a Barksdale crew party with D'Angelo and friends, she moved out, accusing D'Angelo of seeing her as trash that could easily be discarded. Shardene would go on to cooperate with the police unit investigating the Barksdale clan.

D'Angelo developed a friendship with Wallace, the young money handler in the pit organization. He sensed something of himself in Wallace's aversion to the violence of their trade. When Wallace wanted to leave the business after seeing the mutilated body of Brandon, D'Angelo was supportive and gave him money. He continued to ask after Wallace after he left. When Stringer began asking after Wallace, D'Angelo sensed that the boy was in trouble and asked Avon to leave him alone, reassuring him that Wallace was not a danger to the organization. When Wallace returned and asked for his old job back, D'Angelo did not hesitate to reinstate him and gave him advice about how to handle the loss of reputation his previous exit from the business had caused.

D'Angelo was arrested while running drugs from New York; Avon specifically asked D'Angelo to perform the task because of their family connection in light of increasing pressure from the police. D'Angelo was again interrogated by McNulty and refused to believe him when he told him that Wallace was dead. Stringer Bell came to talk to him with Levy and when questioned by D'Angelo Bell as much as admitted to ordering Wallace's execution. As a result, D'Angelo decided to refuse Levy's counsel and turn state's witness. He gave up Wee-Beys hiding place and numerous details of his uncles organization. However, a visit by his mother, Brianna, convinced him of his duty to his family and he backed out of the deal. He took the brunt of the responsbility for the Barksdale empire's crimes and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

During season two, while in prison with Avon and Wee-Bey, D'Angelo turned to snorting heroin. Wee-Bey complained to Avon that a guard named Dwight Tilghman was victimizing him. As Tilghman was involved in the prison drug trade, Avon arranged for him to smuggle in heroin laced with rat poison, and took credit as the informant when prisoners' deaths and illnesses made the news. In order to protect D'Angelo, Avon convinced him to give up his drug habit. When D'Angelo realized the reason for Avon's concern, he was disgusted, and told his mother that he wanted nothing more to do with his family. While working in the prison's library, he was strangled with a belt at the behest of Stringer Bell, who feared that he would inform on the organization. His murder was kept secret from everyone until Stringer finally told Avon towards the end of Season 3.^[1]

[edit] References