Butchie

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Butchie
The Wire character
S. Robert Morgan as Butchie
First appearance	"Hot Shots" (2003)
Last appearance	"Not for Attribution" (2008)
Created by	David Simon
Portrayed by	S. Robert Morgan
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Occupation	Bar owner
Family	Hayward (Nephew)

Butchie is a fictional character on the HBO drama series The Wire, portrayed by S. Robert Morgan. A blind man, he runs an East-Side Baltimore bar, and is Omar Little's bank and advisor. Like his character, actor S. Robert Morgan is blind; he lost his sight to macular degeneration in his twenties.^[1]

Butchie is first seen supplying Corrections Officer Tilghman with the narcotics he sells inside the prison and later negotiating with Stringer Bell over supplying Tilghman with the poisoned drugs that will kill several prisoners and hospitalize others. Later in the season, it becomes apparent that Butchie is a connection to Omar, as Proposition Joe arranges a face-to-face meeting between Omar and Stringer by talking to him.

Butchie's connection to Omar is more apparent, as several scenes show Omar getting advice from Butchie. Omar enlists Butchie to find Officer Dozerman's missing gun, and Omar returns it to Detective Bunk Moreland through Butchie. Butchie later provides Omar with Avon Barksdale's hideout location. Butchie had known the information all along but hoped to protect Omar by withholding it. In the end, Avon is arrested before Omar can use Butchie's tip.

Proposition Joe again contacts Butchie to set up a meeting with Omar, this time pitting Omar against Marlo Stanfield by convincing Omar to rob a card game that Stanfield will attend. When Stanfield contrives to have Omar framed for murder, Butchie is Omar's first phone call after Omar is arrested. Omar escapes the charge and steals an entire shipment of drugs from the New Day Co-Op, getting revenge on both Stanfield and Joe ("That's Got His Own"). Butchie suggests that Omar sell the shipment back to Joe, and Omar leaves Baltimore to retire on the profits. ("Final Grades")

Butchie is tortured in his bar by Stanfield enforcers Chris Partlow and Snoop in an effort to lure Omar from retirement. Butchie refuses to give information about Omar's whereabouts and is killed by Chris; his death prompts Omar to return to Baltimore for revenge. ("Not for Attribution")

• Omar Little and associates

• Alvarez, Rafael (24 November 2009). The Wire: Truth Be Told. Pocket Books. p. 206. ISBN 978-1-4391-8452-3.
• Beilenson, Peter L.; McGuire, Patrick A. (15 August 2012). Tapping into The Wire: The Real Urban Crisis. JHU Press. pp. 176, 189. ISBN 978-1-4214-0750-0.
• "Characters of The Wire: Butchie". Discovering The Wire. Archived from the original on 2012-07-01.
• Lury, Celia; Wakeford, Nina (25 June 2012). Inventive Methods: The Happening of the Social. Routledge. p. 181. ISBN 978-1-136-99396-1.
• Potter, Tiffany; Marshall, C.W. (10 December 2009). The Wire: Urban Decay and American Television. Continuum. p. 119. ISBN 978-0-8264-3804-1.
• Vest, Jason P. (2011). The Wire, Deadwood, Homicide, and NYPD Blue: Violence Is Power. ABC-CLIO. p. 268. ISBN 978-0-313-37819-5.

• "Butchie". The Wire. HBO.
• "Butchie". The Wire. IMDb.