Lawsuit: Cleveland Indians had warnings

CLEVELAND — Cory Barron fell to his death at a 2014 concert at Progressive Field, Cleveland.The Fremont native's family contend the Cleveland Indians organization knew about faulty locks on garbage chutes months before his death. Court documents were filed last week in a 2016 civil lawsuit in Cuyahoga County. The suit alleges inspections done by the Indians' insurance company called for repairs to faulty door locks on the room containing chutes through which Barron apparently fell."These conditions were permitted to continue to exist, even though the Cleveland Indians had been specifically warned in a security briefing by the Jason Aldean Tour that the "Burn It Down" concert to be held at Progressive Field on July 18, 2014 would involve a 'very active and inebriated crowd.' All too predictably, a young man lost his life that night as a result," the filing states.The lawsuit filed by Matthew Barron, Cory's father, asks for at least $150,000 in damages from 15 defendants, including the Indians, Live Entertainment, Gateway Economic Development Corporation and Delaware North Corporation. They have all denied any negligence or wrongdoing in Barron's death.After a four-day search, Barron's body was found at a Lorain County landfill near Oberlin. Deputies from the Lorain County Sheriff's Office, detectives from the Cleveland Police Department and the Lorain County coroner investigated and determined the man had fallen down a five-story garbage chute in the stadium's upper deck.W. Craig Bashein, one of the attorneys for Matthew Barron, alleges in his lawsuit that internal memos and a written report from a "national expert" in stadium safety hired by the ballpark's insurance company warned the doors needed to be replaced. The locks were broken, leaving the door open for anyone to walk through. The lawsuit also alleges an Indians' employee documented in a memo to the maintenance manager that the doors needed to be locked.The Cleveland Indians had no comment when contacted about the allegations. Reach Melissa Topey at topey@sanduskyregister.com, follow her on Twitter @topeymelissa and follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegisterA recent filing in a civil court lawsuit about the death of Cory Barron alleges the Cleveland Indians organization was warned of faulty door locks. Law enforcement believe Cory Barron died after he fell down a chute at Progressive Field