By Barbara Goldberg

NEW YORK (Reuters) – An autopsy has confirmed actor Michael K. Williams, who played the shotgun-toting drug dealer Omar Little in the HBO crime drama “The Wire,” died of an overdose of drugs, the New York City medical examiner’s office said on Friday.

Julie Bolcer (a spokesperson for New York City’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner) stated in an email that his death was accidental.

Williams (54), was found dead at his Brooklyn home on Sept. 6. Sources say that police discovered drug paraphernalia at the site.

Bolcer stated in an email that Bolcer determined the cause of death as “acute intoxication due to the combination effects of heroin, fentanyl and p-fluorofentanyl”.

Bolcer declined to comment further on the investigation.

Williams’ coworkers remembered him for his ability to humanize the characters he played. This was despite his being a New York-born Black man.

Among the real-life struggles he tapped were bouts with drug addiction, which he brought to his best known role for “The Wire.” The TV series was set in Baltimore and told the story of the narcotics trade from the perspective of criminals, police and the people caught between them. Williams’ portrayal as Little, a gay drug dealer who is at war with his opponents was praised by critics.

Other television roles that won Williams praise included characters he portrayed in “Boardwalk Empire,” “Bessie” and “Lovecraft Country.”

Williams played the powerful African-American gangster Chalky White in “Boardwalk Empire,” an HBO series set in Atlantic City, New Jersey during the Prohibition era of the 1920’s.

Williams received Emmy nominations in his performances on HBO’s “Bessie,” the Night Of,” and “Lovecraft Country” during his entire career. Williams was also praised for his part in Netflix’s 2019 series, “When They See Us”. This is the true story about five teens who were falsely accused in a brutal attack against a woman jogger in New York City’s Central Park. They spent years in prison before being exonerated.