Councilman Flores sued over comments

Lorain Ward 2 Councilman Dennis Flores is facing legal action in response to controversial comments made in the wake of a fatal shooting on May 27.

A lawsuit filed in Lorain Municipal Court on May 30 by The Cotton Club owner Anthony Barnhill is seeking damages not to exceed $15,000 for defamation, negligence and tortious interference with business, according to the filing.

Through his attorney, the complaint alleges that Flores has engaged in repeating false and inflammatory information to the public through comments posted on his Facebook account, sent through text message, in alleging the victims of the shooting were shot at The Cotton Club, located at 1766 E. 28th St. and accused the club of being a hub for violence, prostitution and drugs, according to the filing.

“Following a fatal shooting on May 27, 2018, Defendant posted and declared that the victims were shot at The Cotton Club and/or the ‘Club’ was somehow involved. His posts were racially insensitive, inflammatory and knowingly false,” the filing said.

According to a police report, Anthony Hines, 23, of Lorain, was shot in an alley in the 2800 block of Apple Ave. at approximately 2:20 a.m. Hines died after suffering multiple gunshot wounds.

Later on May 27, after Flores apologized after being contacted by Barnhill, the complaint alleges Flores continued to spread false and inflammatory information in public, and encouraged social media followers not to patronize The Cotton Club, the filing said.

Moreover, the complaint argues Flores has participated in discussions in his official capacity along with having voted in the past to revoke the “Club’s” liquor license, and will continue to cause economic and personal damage to the “Club” and the club’s owner and staff.

Flores declined comment when reached by phone by The Morning Journal on May 30.

In a phone interview with The Morning Journal on May 30, Barnhill said he decided to take action after Flores continued to make statements about the incident.

“I had called Mr. Flores out of respect as a man and I asked him to stop blatantly lying,” Barnhill said. “He knew exactly where the shooting happened at and he constantly kept lying.”

Barnhill added Flores’ actions were unbecoming as a public official representing the city of Lorain and felt he had no other choice but to take legal action in order to protect his reputation and that of his business.

“That’s very unprofessional as a city official and I took it personally,” he said.

In an interview with The Morning Journal on May 29, Flores apologized for his comments and said he had apologized personally to Barnhill and Howard Washington, owner of Club Our Space.

“Right now, I would just like to apologize to the club owners because none of it happened in their establishments,” Flores said. “At this point, let’s hope we don’t have any more shootings.”

At least one individual named “Our Space” as the location of the shooting in a social media post, and Flores said on Facebook, “I guess that’s why I don’t do the Cotton Club!”

Flores said he was expressing frustration about young people who turn to violence.

“It was not specifically about the guy that got shot,” Flores said. “I was commenting on the culture of these young men.”

After the shooting, Flores posted: “Here we go … sirens at 2:48 a.m. like clock work.”

A commenter, identified online as “Mark Davis,” posted: “It be like dis if da weedz man rips me off I got my hi point 40 on dat (expletive)in if i rip off da weeds man he gonna have his hi point pointed at me fo realz … Pop Pop …”

Flores responded: “Brothaz be at da club spending weedz man’s money, (expletive) ‘N’ you got my money? POP, POP, POP, POP, POP cuz that’z how we roll in So Lo … pop that (expletive) Mark Davis!!!”

“Was it inappropriate? Yes it was. For that, I apologize,” Flores said.

The comments were not meant to be about Hines, he said.

However, they were about the mentality of young men who get into gangs and drug dealing, Flores said.

“In my travels in the Second Ward, I see these guys and I hate it, I really do hate their mentality,” he said.

Flores