UPDATE ( Oct. 17): A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for November 11 at the DC Superior Court. Also watch the video below.
(Oct. 16) — The owner and 4 employees of DC9, a night club on Washington DC’s U Street, savagely attacked and killed a young Ethiopian named Ali Ahmed Mohammed early Friday.
The owner of DC9 Bill Spieler and his employees were charged with second-degree murder in Ali’s “savage beating,” the DC Police Chief said initially, but at a court hearing today, the charge was reduced to aggravated assault, drawing anger and outrage among Ali’s family and friends. The five individuals chased Ali, tackled him to the ground and beat him to death as he begged them to stop, according to an eyewitness. This is murder, not assault.
Ali’s friends suspect that the charge could have been reduced due to political pressure since the owners of DC9 have strong contacts with some of DC’s most powerful politicians.
Ethiopians in the Washington DC area need to express our outrage against such blatant injustice against Ali by contacting the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia at 202 514 7566, email: [email protected]
The following are reports by Washington Post.
Five men were charged with aggravated assault (the charge was reduced from second degree murder) Saturday in the beating of Ali Ahmed Mohammed in front of a club at Ninth and U streets where the men worked.
Mohammed died early Friday at at a hospital, a short time after the alleged assault.
Four of the men were released after a court proceeding Saturday, and the fifth was to be released later in the afternoon. All were placed in a high-intensity supervision program, which includes electronic monitoring.
D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier on Friday called the incident a “savage” case of “vigilante justice.”
Mohammed, 27, tried to enter DC9 early Friday but was turned away at the door. He became angry, picked up two bricks and hurled them through the nightclub’s front window, witnesses told investigators.
According to a police affidavit filed in court Saturday, the first officer on the scene at 2:30 a.m. Friday found Mohammed, of Silver Spring, “lying on the ground, unconscious and not breathing” and rendered CPR until medics arrived. Officers saw dried blood on Mohammed’s face and noticed that his head was swollen. He was taken to Howard University Hospital and pronounced dead about 3:15 a.m.
The five suspects in the assault are the co-owner of the DC9 club, William Spieler 46 (shown on the photo below), and four of his employees: Darryl Carter Jr., 20; Reginald Phillips, 22; and Evan Preller, 28, the club’s manager, all residents of the District; and Arthur Andrew Zaloga, 25, of Silver Spring.
One witness told police that five men chased Mohammed and that Preller caught Mohammed and threw him to the ground, according to the affidavit. The witness said he watched Carter, Zaloga, Spieler and Phillips “stomp the victim on the head and the body” as Preller held him down, the document states. Spieler kicked Mohammed several times, the witness told police, according to the affadavit.
A second witness told police that he saw Mohammed walking with what appeared to be two bricks. The witness asked Mohammed what he was going to do with the bricks and Mohammed responded: “[Expletive] those people up.” The witness said he also saw Preller catch and throw Mohammed down and that Mohammed was beaten. But this witness was less clear about the role each defendant played.
Second-degree murder charges were initially filed against the men. But the charges had been expected to be reduced because the D.C. medical examiner’s report on the cause of Mohammed’s death is pending, according to law enforcement sources. Although an autopsy was performed, authorities said, lab tests have to be done before a ruling can be made on whether the death was a homicide caused by the beating.
The law-enforcement sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is continuing, said the charges could be changed back to murder after the medical examiner rules.
Another witness, speaking to a reporter Friday, said the victim cried for mercy during the beating, shouting: “Please! Please! Please!”
Attorneys for Spieler and Preller said that Lanier’s comments Friday had been prejudicial and that she spoke before the incident was fully investigated.
“Chief Lanier jumped to conclusions before a full investigation was completed,” said Danny C. Onorato, Preller’s attorney, who said that his client is “innocent of any crime completely.”
Spieler’s attorney, Steven J. McCool, said his client is also innocent.
“Bill Spieler is a kind and gentle man,” McCool said. “We’re confident that when this investigation is completed, these men will be proven innocent.” He added that Mohammed’s death was a “tragedy.”
Both lawyers tried to enter not-guilty pleas in court Saturday, but Judge Frederick H. Weisberg said that was premature.
Attorneys for Phillips, Zaloga and Carter declined to comment.
Phillips “has never been in trouble,” said a man who identified himself as Phillips’s uncle but would not provide his name. “He’s a skinny kid. He’s nice. He’s docile.”
And a woman who described herself as a frequent patron of DC9 said she was “upset” by the way the police had handled the case.
“These are good kids, these are good people,” said Adrienne Wheeler. “At the end of the day, they were at work. These are professionals,” she said, and they would not have assaulted Mohammed in the way police say they did.
Skip Coburn, the executive director of the D.C. Nightlife Association, said Saturday that he had known Spieler “for years” and that he was one the most responsible club owners in the organization, a regular at safety and security training that the association provides its members.
“I would imagine that if someone throws a brick through your window, you’re going to make some attempt to apprehend the person,” Coburn said. But he said he did not believe that the club employees would then attack the brick-thrower.
Second-degree murder charges were initially filed against the men. But the charges had been expected to be reduced because the D.C. medical examiner’s report on the cause of Mohammed’s death is pending, according to law enforcement sources. Although an autopsy was performed, authorities said, lab tests have to be done before a ruling can be made on whether the death was a homicide caused by a beating. The D.C. medical examiner “did not observe external injuries sufficient to allow it to opine on the cause of death,” according to the police affidavit.
D.C. Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), who represents the area, said Saturday that switching charges was “very perplexing. We need to get to the bottom of it as soon as possible.”
The law enforcement sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is continuing, said the charges could be changed back to murder after the medical examiner rules.
DC9 is a well-known, established club that often features indie bands. Its shows are listed and reviewed in publications across the region, including The Washington Post. The club remains closed after Lanier, acting within her authority as chief, ordered it shut Friday.
(Updated Friday at 4:15 PM) — Officials at the Medical Examiner’s Officer say they have not ruled Mohammed’s death a homicide. They would not elaborate. Police had called a press conference for 3:45 p.m. Friday to possibly amend the charges, according to sources. But that news conference was canceled.
“We don’t have cause of death yet,” Police Chief Cathy Lanier said in an email. The autopsy was not yet complete, she said.
(Original Post) — The owner and four employees of a popular nightclub off U Street chased and then fatally beat and stomped a man after he threw a rock through a window of the club, police said.
Ali Ahmed Mohammed, 27, of Silver Spring was killed outside the DC9 Nightclub in an act of “vigilante justice,” Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier said.
One of the club’s owners, Bill Spieler, 46, and four employees have each been charged with second-degree murder in Mohammed’s “savage beating,” the chief said.
The attack occurred about 2:30 a.m. about a block away from the club at 1940 Ninth St. NW, Lanier said, after Mohammed was denied entry to the club at closing time and threw a rock through the window.
The five men came out of the club, chased Mohammed for a block before all five tackled, punched, kicked and stomped him, Lanier said in an interview outside police headquarters. Mohammed, of the 11100 block of Norlee Drive, was barely conscious when police arrived, Lanier said.
“In my opinion,” the chief said, “when you talk about a beating like this as a result of property damage, a loss of life from a savage beating that appears to be vigilante justice, it’s just ridiculous.”
Lanier said she will close down the club Friday: “It will happen today.”
There was no evidence, Lanier said, that the attack was a hate crime. “It appears that the assault was precipitated by the fact that he threw a rock through the window.” She said there was no indication that any of the suspects knew Mohammed before the attack.
Police arrested another bar patron about 1:30 a.m. after the clubgoer scuffled with employees inside the club and was ejected, Lanier said. But police “have nothing to suggest” that incident and Mohammed’s beating “are connected in any way,” Lanier said.
Besides Spieler, the employees arrested were: Darryl Carter, 20, of the 600 block of Morton Place NE; Reginald Phillips, 22, of the 2000 block of Fifth Street NW; Evan Preller, 28, of the 2500 block of Mozart Place NW; and Arthur Zaloca of the12500 block of Epping Court in Silver Spring.
Joe Englert, who owns the club with Spieler, said in a telephone interview that “at least two and maybe three” of his employees had placed a 911 call to police after the window was broken “and were awaiting their arrival.”
Citing the police investigation, he declined to say whether the employees were detaining Mohammed “but we are confident, very confident in the honesty and integrity of the staff. They have been well trained,” said Englert. He said the handling of the earlier incident at the nightclub in which an unruly patron was ejected and later arrested “shows you our people are trained right.”
Mohammed’s death, said Englert is “tragedy and it is sickening that it happened but we are really confident that once everything is known it will all be fine for our people.” He said the club “will help Chief Lanier and work with police however we can.”
(Reported by Paul Duggan, Mary Pat Flaherty, Michael Birnbaum and Paul Duggan of the Washington Post. Staff writers Mary Pat Flaherty, Dan Morse and Clarence Williams and researchers Magda Jean-Louis and Julie Tate contributed to this report.)
107 thoughts on “UPDATE – DC night club owner beats young Ethiopian to death”
First I do thank Elias for bringing such an important and relevant matter of life and death to the broad day light.
Folks: The murderers must necessarily face justice and get the exact and just punishments according to THE LAW OF THE LAND proportional to their MASTER CRIMES. ):
Taking law in to their own DIRTY hands as a gang and a group eagerly murdering a young man in a democratic and civilized society is the ultimate capital crime.
All Ethiopians and other human rights individuals and groups needs to actively work directly and indirectly for justice to take its right course, otherwise such barbaric and savage brutalities will only spread like cancer and affect all of us here and there indiscriminately.
“First they came for the communists, but I remained silent because I am not a communist.
Then, they came for the Catholics, but I did not speak up because I am not a Catholic.
Then they came for the Trade Unions, but I did not speak up because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, but I did not speak up because I was not a Jew.
Then when they finally came for me there was NONE left to speak for me.” ~The Reverend Martin Niemöller 1945 in Nazi Germany
I have a gun in my home. If someone threw a brick through my window trying to hurt me I’d shoot them. The only reason people on this site care about this guy is because he was Ethiopian. :crazy:
If he was from anywhere else none of you would care. You’d be saying “I would have beat him too or shot him if threw a brick through my window” or you’d be saying “That’s what he gets for doing something so stupid”. :no:
If you play with fire you might get burned; he shouldn’t have thrown the brick. What happened to him was his own fault. :-/
Please Call
DC Attorney general Stevie Nadir
At 202-305-1390
May the LORD comfort his family,no one can bring this young man gain to life.Young people need to learn from this that happiness and contentment is not to be found in “the niight life”.It is found only in being reconciled with the LORD.
R.I.P brother.This is so sad.
“The police chief is the best but she needs support.” tezibt
This is something that requires immediate action.
Dear Elias,
How about drafting some brief letter. That way out of state and country Ethiopians and friends will send tons of mail to the Chief
I am not in DC to cooperate with any appearance; but I promise to mail a letter to the chief within the next hour.
These are business owners Vs a black immigrant. It will be $ vs justice.
Chief Cathy Linear at 300 Indiana Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20001;
District of Columbia Ronald C. Machen Jr. at 555 4th street NW Washington, DC 20530.
Please make a pledge to write letters from any where and every where you are. It will make a difference. They are changing the charge from murder to assault.
—————————–
May the good Lord God bless the parted and rest his soul in peace. Those alive need to fight for justice on his behalf.
My condolence to his family and friends.
Eden
This is not about race. It is a tragic ending for a young man and sad for his family. It does not matter where this guy was from. He was a human being and deserved better treatment like we all do. What he did was wrong but he did not need to pay with his life. Those windows will soon be replaced, but he is gone forever. We all have made mistakes but our punishment was not death. He was treated like an animal, beaten and left to die. What I don’t understand is how come no one called the cops when he was beaten to death. I know we don’t want to get caught up in other people’s situations, but sometimes all we have to do is call 911 to rescue those in distress. If we were in that situation, we would want someone to care. If my family members were in trouble, I would want someone to help. Please don’t make this a race issue. I understand that the owner and his employees were angry, but beating a man to death is brutal and evil. Don’t make excuses for their behavior. They could have held him until the police came and dealt with the situation in a much better way. Now a life is lost and they’re facing undesirable consequences for their actions. To the family of the deceased, I’m sorry for your loss and may God be with you during this horrible time.
RIP!!
This is pure hate crime.We have learn from history,how they use to do it.This is, the 21 century version.It is sad when it happens in USA in 21 century.So called civilized nation.Whats the different between the lady in Iran,who is ready to be killed by stoning and the one just happend here in the nation capitol?
Jim Grahm sided with the club and on his media briefing (please call for his resignation), I do not see any difference between the council man Jim Graham and the killers. He mentioned the Ethiopian as intoxicated individual while he refers to the night club where people get drunk and get high the establishment. His e-mail address is
[email protected]
His media address is the following:
Ward 1 Councilman Jim Graham sent out the following e-mail Friday morning detailing the incidents as he understood them:
Dear Friends, there was tragedy last night in the vicinity of 9th and Florida.
I have spoken to various people this morning and there are questions unanswered.
But, according to MPD information, here are what appear to be the basic facts:
An intoxicated person was put out of DC-9 at 1940 9th St. He returned and somehow managed to gain admittance. And was put out again. He then returned and threw two bricks (perhaps at one of the employees?) which broke the window. (Earlier that night, another patron had punched and broken a window, he was arrested for that again earlier in the evening.)
Bar employees chased the man down to the 2000 block, caught him and beat him. MPD arrived and he was transported to the hospital where he died.
Five DC 9 employees have been arrested and charged, some—at this hour– with homicide. Arraignment is this afternoon.
There are questions unresolved in this matter. But MPD is now considering using the emergency police powers of the MPD Chief to shut the establishment for up to 96 hours, allowing the ABC board hold a hearing to consider possible suspension of the alcohol license.
More as additional information is released. Bests Councilmember Jim Graham
Jim Graham is siding with the killers. If people do you wrong you take them to court, not kill them. If that is the case the father has a rigth to kill the killers of his son, uncivilized way…Mr. Graham that is the law of the jungle I thaught America has low and order. Send an e-mail to Jim Graham office asking him to stop dailuting the truth. Let the court handle the case. It is a shame when politician take side, specially with a night club…
aradaw #44,
The evil belief you possess that some DC Ethiopian kids deserve to be killed for their impudence the way Ali was is sickness and utter cruelity.
Nobody deresrves to be killed the way Ali was killed.His death is savage,inhumane and a hate crime carried out by a bunch of murderes who took the law into their hands.The tragic incident could be precipitated by the victim throwing bricks at the window but once those savages had him under their control,they should call police and surrender him to let the law take its course.They didn’t and instead killed him savagely and thats where the ”Provocation”claim ceases to hold water.
Therefore,by any defination of the law,these are criminals who committed murder and they should be charged with manslaughter.
I would like to express my deepest condolence to his family and loved once.May God rest his soul in peace.
This is ridiculous, i knew Ali, he was a playful person, worked security i beleive. He loved to laugh, and joke all the time.
OKAY SO HE BROKE THE WINDOW. THEY HAVE INSURANCE THEY CAN FIX IT.
KILLING HIM IS NOT NECESSARY.
This is murder, unless the club owner
can bring him back to life, he is responsible, bull crap about being trained, if they werer trained they would have not touch him. HOLDING HIM IS ONE THING STOMPING ON HIM IS ANOTHER.
The employees may be good people, doing good deeds all the TIME BUT THEY KILLED SOMEONE. NOW HIS FAMILY IS AT A LOSS.
SORRY IS NOT GOING TO BE ENOUGH.
I KNOW ALI HE WAS A FUN LOVING JOKESTER WHO LOVED LIFE AND TOLD JOKES AT ALL TIMES. HE WAS NEVER HARMFUL AT ALL.
THIS IS MURDER, NOT MANSLAUGHTER, THEY HAD THE CHOICE TO HOLD HIM UNTIL THE POLICE CAME. THEY CHOSE TO KILL HIM.
MONEY SHOULD NOT BUY JUSTICE. THIS IS MURDER.
IT IS HIGHLY SHAMEFUL TO MAKE EXCUSES FOR THE EMPLOYEES. THEY MAY BE GOOD PEOPLE BUT THEY CHOSE TO KILL A HUMAN LIFE. SO AS EVERYONE ELSE THEY MUST PAY THE PRICE FOR MURDER. THEY HAD THE CHOICE HOLD OR KILL. THEY COULD HAVE HELD HIM TILL THE POLICE CAME BUT THEY DECIDED TO STOMP ON HIM AND KILL HIM—-THEY HAD A CHOICE AND THEY CHOSE.
THIS IS MURDER NOT ASSAULT.
I WORK IN THE RETAIL INDUSTRY, SEE ALOT OF UNRULLY PEOPLE, THIEVES, I DONT GO AROUND KILLING THEM, I DONT EVEN TOUCH THEM. INSURANCE WOULD HAVE PAID FOR THE FREAKING BROKEN WINDOW, NO LOSS TO THE OWNER BUT NOW HE HAS TAKEN A LIFE.
CLUB SHOULD BE CLOSED DOWN. PERIOD
MURDER IS MURDER. THEY CANNOT BRING THE LIFE BACK. MONEY SHOULD NOT BUY A TICKET OUT OF JAIL.
I see some narrow-minded people down playing it in name of the property minor damage. This is a brutal crime, cover-up cum travesty of justice to say the least. Regardless of the petty political, creed and regional difference,it a is litmus test to the unity, existence and effectiveness of Ethiopian Community in DC area to stand up and reach the bottom of horrible cases like this one.
RIP!
These club owners, their bodyguards and paid popo are really fools. It’s an ongoing issue in DC. Maybe we need to start ET boys gang terrorize all them douche bags. But we’re not gonna do that. We are the better than ’em. We are peaceful but we need to show solidarity and brotherhood.
I see some narrow-minded people down playing it in the name of property minor damage. This is a brutal crime, cover-up cum travesty of justice to say the least. Regardless of the petty political, creed and regional difference,it a is litmus test to the unity, existence and effectiveness of Ethiopian Community in DC area to stand up and reach the bottom of horrible cases like this one.
RIP!
The loss of a human life is indeed very sad. My deepest sympathy goes to his family and loved once.
Having said that, please let’s not use this cause to promote hatred between groups. We don’t have any proof to say that a hate crime has occurred here. Let’s not rush to judgement before we get all the facts.
It appears that the people involved are not just Caucasians but also African Americans or whatever. We all know that both groups have good and bad people like any other group. Even if the justice system concludes that the crime is a hate crime, the rest of the Caucasians and African Americans should not be blamed for this.
Stereotype and hatred only leads to more damage.
#Dina
What those five people allegedly did doesn’t amount to self defense. So, let’s put things into perspective. These people allegedly CHASED Ali and throw him to the ground and stomp on his body and head. I hope next time you fire a gun, it backfires on you.
RIP!!!! I dont care what race, color, religon, nationality u came from no body,,,,, no body deserves to be treated like this young man had been treated!!!! He threw a brick,,,,,, so what????? ppl rape & molest children and americans rally to set them free or have the heart to forgive them, But they ruled this man’s death to be a simple” tragedy” !!!! U beat a man to death…… how is that a tragedy???????? They need to face justice & sentenced to life in prison or set on the death row!!!!! Cuz they know what they were doing & they succeeded!!!! WOW what a great training they had,,,, i wounder what they will do next????? EVILS!!!!!!!!
This is terrible! i hope the people that commited this crime burn in hell!
Folks: Murderers are always murderers and the facts speak for themselves.
In that sense there is no use debating whether it is a murder or not and try to rationalize brutal murder.
There are always some who will keep supporting and rationalizing savage brutal murder of a nice human being, and those once must be opposed and ignored.
Evil people even killed Jesus Christ and kept rationalizing and defending their brutal capital crimes.
When we are defending life and the right to living while opposing the reckless savage murdering and taking of life from a human being we are defending the human and the humanity in ourselves as well as also opposing the inhuman and the brutal savagery instincts in ourselves too.
This is a battle between the EVIL and the GOOD. Nothing less nothing more!
The moment is the moment of unity and action in support of justice for it to prevail. Action is the essence!
Some of the best and the only sure guarantee of group and individual security in a democratic society is the law and its legal and security institutions.
We need not let the law and the legal institutions to be hijacked by the relatively powerful influential gangsters for the purpose of brutalizing and dehumanizing the less powerful.
Remember that today it is Ali’s fate but tomorrow it can easily be you, your children, your relatives, your neighbors or another human being.
Why should these 5 blood thirsty savage murderers kill a helpless single individual whom they have already overwhelmed, arrested completely subdued? They should have called the police, handed him over to them and demanded justice for any damage incurred.
Selamawi #62,
This time, I agree with you totally.
#44, should address his comment to his fellow woyanes not Ethiopians. Ali’s case is nothing new for Woyanes, hundreds of Ethiopians have been killed for absolutely no reason at all, let alone someone throwing a brick through their window. Woyanes have no heart or conscience to feel and to see the injustice when an Ethiopian beaten to death.
We don’t even know if Ali is the one who really threw the bricks or not, even if he did, the security guards shouldn’t have savagely beaten a young man to his death.
My heart goes out to Ali’s parents and the rest of his family and friends.
Those 5 guys need someone to wake them to reality. Who do they think they are?
They should know their place.
Hello Friends,
On October 15th, my cousin Ali Mohammed was brutally beaten and murdered by DC9 owner and 4 of his employees. I pledge to stand against any form of brutality and I always have. On this day, Tuesday, October 19th at 6:00PM, Ali’s family and my Family and friends… are holding a candle light vigial for Ali at 1940 9th Street, NW Washington, DC. All I ask at this trying time is for people to unite and stand against what is wrong. This can be your brother, your uncle, your friend and most importantly someone’s life.Thank you to you all for all the support through the good and the bad. I am stronger because you all are standing by me. I love you all.
Thanks
NuNu Wako
Abraham,
What nonsense. You have a crazy guy going around throwing bricks at people through windows. He had already snuck back into the place once. Who is to say that if he had been allowed to run away he would not have returned to try and throw more bricks at people and hurt (and possibly kill) someone.
The only thing people could possibly argue is excessive force; but if it was 1st degree murder they would not have left him alive on the street, he would have been killed right there. So at most you can charge the with 2nd degree, at most.
If he had not died he would have been changed with everything from assault and battery to property damage. He is not innocent in this case. Why anyone would support a criminal is beyond me.
You can argue that it is a shame that he died, but I don’t support criminals. You’d have to convince me that he didn’t mean to throw bricks at people through windows for me to care about him in any sense.
The only reason a lot of the Ethiopian community is defending this guy is because he is Ethiopian. If he was anything else they wouldn’t care. They even feel safer knowing they can go out without worrying about be hit with a stray brick. And feel safer knowing that the workers at clubs with defend them against anyone who tries to attack them in that way.
I am Ethiopian and if Ali was an INNOCENT victim I would go out and support him. He was not though.
Thank you so much dear brother Elias. We may not agree in everything you say but you are the best and god bless you.
I highly doubt these 20 year olds would know if Ali was from Ethiopia, Somalia or Egypt. I don’t believe that was a factor. I believe that anger took over and they commited a horrible act of violence that they would have committed upon anyone not twice their size. It is a shame Mr. Spieler did not do the adult thing and stop them.
where is justice?
Betsy you’re are absolutely right on that. The 20 something’s were furious because yes, the victim DID do a terrible thing, but the owner should have stepped in and stopped the beating.
What a very sad and unbelievable story. How could these people do such things. My prayers goes out to the family. May God save his soul in heaven.
Let not Ali’s unjust death be in-vain, show your respect, solidarity and unity – TODAY!
@ Betsy This is U St. DC people know who’s Ethiopian who’s not trust me. We are tired of being targeted. We are being treated as a third class citizen. It gotta stop.
wait guys
how come there wasn’t some one who call 911 at that moment ???
as fare as i see there was a eye witness at that time
@ Dina……open up your damn eyes before you open mouth nobody desrves to die like Ali did. I just hope someone beat the crap out of you until you die just like Ali was beatn to death then you can look for you damn gun! you’re heartless lil bitch!
THEY MURDERED AN INNOCENT YOUNG MAN. THEY DESERVE TO SERVE TIME IN JAIL.
Number 16 you really are a bitch for defending the killers.Are you an Ethiopian by the way ?
Dina, shut up!
@ 86…. thnx
… They must not live in peace after doing such a barbaric act. I’m really deeply saddened by the death of our brother.
what happened outside this club, is a tragedy. nobody should die like this in the streets at the hands of a club’s “security”.
however, to say that they did this cause he habesha is crazy. i am sure they didnt pull out his wallet and check his ID, before they beat him to death, they just beat him to death.
this aint an us vs them thing. we got to stop with that kind of talk, otherwise all our work and efforts will be dismissed.
what we need to do is a few things.
1. call the District Attorney and demand that the club owners and staff be charged with manslaughter.
2. set up camp outside the courthouse, until they are charged with this crime
3. stand outside the club where this brother was killed with signs telling other people to call the DA
4. find out how to get in touch with his family and set up a fund to support them through this tough time
5. set up a legal fund for a civil case, so the family can sue this nightclub for a wrongful death. the state is in charge of prosecuting for manslaughter. but the nightclub owes his family for the loss.
just the thoughts of justa notha brotha…
There are million night clubs in the world. The nature of the business and the human nature, need, behavior…is the same. Many similar things happened in the past and many decades and will happen happen in the future all over the world. The question is how many of the owners do know the business! They were supposed to know or expect such things happen, because it is a night club not a farm. They were supposed to know how to mange it.The way they manged the problem was shame for… I am in Addis Ababa but I never expected such outrageous murder from/in Washington DEMOCRATIC CENTER. What ever justice is must.MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PEACE.Sorry the family for the loss.
Very sorry for Ali
Rest in peace
It is so sad and unbelievable story. We all have to be strong and united in this case. My prayers go out to the family and Friends. Please young Ethiopian male or female please stay away from dangers situation and be cool. God be with all of us.
We want to see justice prevailes, we want the perpetrators to pay for their brutal crime.
No matter what race, religion,and nationality you came from,nobody deserves to be treated like Ali had been treated!!people rape,molests and still be set free,but this poor Ethiopian immigrant got killed cuz he threw a brick…what??? I hope all those “animals” burn in hell!
May God rest his soul!!
Justice for Ali!!!
Dina,Think before you speak moron!
I’m going to miss hearing those words and yes it hurt me to my soul when I ask Johnathan where you were. He said Ali died, I said stop playing where is Ali so I immediately called some of our friend to see if this was true. I still can’t fathom this happening to you. I wish you were with me that night and then mabey we would of went somewhere else. I would never think that in a million years you would throw a brick through a window. We been out several times together and I never seen this side of you. Your still my Friend no matter what you did and you didn’t deserve to be beaten and killed by these bastards. They going to hell and burn for eternity Jah Know! We Love you Ali you will be missed and remembered in our hearts and minds forever.
R.I.P Brother ALI’
Chief Emmanuel
Peace and blessing to your family and friends.
Long Live ETHIOPIA AND IT’S PEOPLE
Does Ali not bear some responsability for instigating the issue? IT NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF HE DIDN’T THROW THE BRICKS, WHICH BT THE WAY COULD HAVE KILLED SOMEONE.
No one should die because of property damge. ALi RIP.
I really hope the truth comes out. This story does not make a lot of sense. I don’t understand why they would call the cops if they were simultaneously beating the crap out of someone? I don’t understand why there are so many conflicting versions of the story. There are MANY parts to this story that don’t add up, and yes, it is frustrating. I know what it is like to have a family member murdered (as in shot in the head by someone) and the desire to seek revenge. But please don’t let that horrible and useless desire blind you from seeking the truth. There is a belief in the American justice system that you are innocent until proven guilty. I beg you to not use an unfortunate and very sad death to create deeper hate and misunderstanding. That doesn’t mean I don’t want justice, but what it means is that we can’t go on hearsay and speculation alone to fuel hatred. May the truth come out before we judge others.