The Oakland County Medical Examiner has ruled the death of a man that resulted from an amateur wrestling match accidental.

Clawson police received the results from the medical examiner late Thursday. An autopsy was performed on the man several weeks ago. There will be no charges filed, Detective Jim Kant said.

"I spoke with the medical examiner, and the death was ruled an accidental death," he said. "As far as police action, the case is closed."

David Barres, 25, was participating in an amateur wrestling match on the evening of Sept. 8 when he attempted to pick up another man, his 20-year-old roommate, lift him over his head and fall backwards with him. Instead, Barres lost his footing and fell forward with the roommate. He fell on the man and struck his head on the mat, according to reports.



Police were dispatched to the 900 block of East 14 Mile Road and found Barres face down and conscious in the backyard wrestling ring, which had neither ropes nor padding.

Barres told police he could not move his legs and could not feel them. Alliance EMS transported him to Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, where he died five days later.

Spectators taped the match and officers, Beaumont doctors and the medical examiner used it to study the incident.

Witnesses, including the roommate, cooperated with police, and said the injury was the result of a failed wrestling move. The residents of the home on East 14 Mile Road said they had been staging Friday night wrestling matches in their back yard for several weeks and filmed the matches to eventually sell the videos as a business venture, according to police reports.

The fatal incident occurred during the third and final wrestling match of the night that featured a six-person tag team match.

A woman who answered the phone at the home Barres shared with his roommate, his girlfriend and another man, declined to comment.