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UPDATE – DC night club owner beats young Ethiopian to death

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.

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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

  1. Property damage is a serious loss for small business owners anywhere in this economy, I got bit up by a Jazz club owner just for riding my bicycle infront of his night club located in a ghetto neighborhood of San Francisco where the city is paying millions of dollars for club owners to open night clubs and redevelop the area to attract limo riding tourists ,apparently bycycle riding immigrants are not needed in the area and if they show up they get bit up. It was his word that had value so the police were in his favor and I ended up loosing the fight.Beware Night clubs can be dangerous full of guns , fights and sometimes death.

  2. Washington DC ethiopian residants along with African Americans need to fight this .The council member sided with the club owners because the business is on his ward. This is a human life not a fly. If someone damages a property he would have to pay for it. No need to be killed. They lost money any ways as the Washington DC Police Chief 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.” I hope they will keep is closed forever.

  3. Too bad for victim Ali (RIP), and too bad for William Spieler and Co. Untrained tug employees overreacted and sniffed out a life. These were Dobbermans and German Shepherds in attack mode, the small size dogs chasing, no bouncer runs that fast. Now they’ll pay big and the nightclub won’t survive, and would close, which is good thing; people will read more books or whatever.

  4. rip, i will like to offer my deepest sympathy to his family and love ones. my ethiopian people in dc wait how the legal system plays. if it doesn’t work well street justice is the answer.

  5. this is a kind of thing we witness in London i think there is some kind of hate involving even when ethiopian singers comes over, the sponsors are Ethiopians, in case of violence they hire a body guard specially those body builders. i remember once they smashed an Ethiopian guy and threw him away. i said to any one stay away from trouble. its one of these days. feel sorry for our brother.

  6. May God the Almighty rest his soul in heaven, if DC Ethiopians are really great nationalists as they claim to be, its time to prove it, its doesn’t matter what political stand point we have, this should unite us for one more time as we used to do when we confront outsider enemy, these savage animals wouldn’t have done that if they didn’t know he was not a voiceless immigrant, lets prove it otherwise that we are actually loud when it comes to our Ethiopian dignity. We can’t afford injustice in a country we fled to starving for justice and sound freedom, atleast lets experience justice in a just country by making our voice heard peacefully.

  7. Lets see how strong we are. The police chief is the best but she needs support. This tugs have the power to convice or work hard to force the inconming mayor to remove her. They are all connected. Ethiopians in DC won’t have future unless they show how strong they are. Americans are just poeple but some of the thugs in business here in DC are well connected and we are talking money here. Any ways Ethiopians are on the radar for forced removal from taxi and other businesses. We have to be united. If this case is as it looks there his been an injustice done and we need to support the family to hire the best lawyers and investigators to handle this case. Otherwise the case will be closed with injustice. Lets hire the best lawyer and let us spend the money. The kid could have been brought to justice. This is not the wild west. Vigilanti justice is not the American way. There is no way they kill him while he begged for mercy saying “please, please, please” and they go free. If that happens then more will follow and I will never consider this community mine again. The great radio talk show hosts, Abebe belew, Ayalkibet and others should help the family and the community in this desperate time. Thanks to everyone Nazret.com, Ethiopianreview, Tibebe Samuel and others for dealing with this issue. Please help, this could have been you, your brother, friend, boyfriend or a husband. Lets show how strong we are. Lets contact the mayor, the mayor elect the great police chief. Lets consult lawyers. For the sake of justice, one life too many. Lets help.

  8. Please guys and gals, let us do some thing about this. Let this be the talk of the week. Lets take action. How could they do this to one ours? They savagely bit him because they know he is not while, he is not Hispanic or he isn’t even black. They saw that he is Ethiopian. They know us from our looks. So they wanted to give him a lesson and broke his scull. Oh I am burning in and out. I don’t know this guy but it doesn’t matter. No one should do this in the so called capital of the world where we believe there is justice and where we have come for sanctuary. What worst could our savage government do. It is better to get a bullet than dying the way this guy is killed. If I was his brother god knows what would happen but still I have to do everything what the law allow me by contributing money and supporting any organization or person ready to help this case. Lets do it.

  9. 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 know it will all be fine for our people.” He said the club “will help Chief Lanier and work with police however we can.”

    Just read the above statement and you will see that if the guy was American he wouldn’t have been killed. But the best judge of all “god” will take care of this cruel and greedy savages.

  10. It is a tragedy a person get killed because of property damage. They call Africans are animals but here we go they are barberians full of hate and kill him savegely. They are beasts. We Ethiopians should make our voice heared at the capital. This is a very series thing.Those animals should be kept in prison.

  11. I have known Ali ever since he came to this country. ALI WAS NOT A FIGHTER, VIOLENT AND I WOULD ATTEST THAT HE DID NOT EVEN TRY FIGHTING BACK, BECAUSE HE IS JUST NOT THAT.

    Ali was a man of smile, joke, and friendly conversation with all that he met. He was a man that none of his friends, or family could ever recall throwing a punch or fighting with anyone. He was chased a block away from the club and five man beat a helpless man pleading for mercy.

    what makes it worse is that we have a suspect yet they walk free because we are the weak Ethiopians who only talk of Unity and Togetherness. In an area where we want named “little Ethiopia” Ethiopians are being murdered and their killers walk free. we have became nothing but numbers, food and cultural dress with a flag waving, it is sad that we failed to have a weight in the community we serve and revive through out hard work. Thats exactly what happens in this case and it will continue because they fear no response.
    HOW LONG ARE WE GOING TO BE PUSHED BACK AND WE TURN OUR FACE AND WALK AWAY IN EVERY CASE THAT INVOLVES US>><<<<????

  12. This is one of those unfortunate incidents. Club bouncers have to stop people coming afterhours, because the clubs do not sell any form of alcohol, so no profit for them to let people in. For the man throwing rock into the window could have hurt other innocent patrons who come to enjoy their night. The owners have the responsibilities to provide a safe place for the patrons to spend their hard earned money and protect their patrons, so its hard to judge the matter till all facts are presented. Video cameras can be of great help to resolve such dispute, although voice is not audible, but body language could tell a greatdeal.

  13. Its a shame a a life was lost, but lets get real. This individual provoked a situation to occur that put other lives at stake which turned around to take his life. Every action we have is its consequences, some more greater then others. The charges pressed from the accounts of the incident are warranted. Before you get into conspiracy theory of those involved are politically connected have facts. The habesha community should watch the case but not make it a race,immigrant, or class issue. Its two parties that had situations go to far and thats it.

  14. If the owner of the club or the Bouncer tells you that you can’t go inside he/she respect the rule .In this case to all of you if you don’t control yourself Please do not drink too much.

  15. The agonizing question I have is why did this young Ethiopian Muslim want to enter the DC9 Night Club and why did the owner of the night club turn him away? The two fundamental questions must be first addressed before we try to understand his tragic death in the hands of these merciless vigilantes.

    Most often, Muslims do not frequent night clubs; perhaps, some young Ethiopian Muslims may do, but I am not quite sure; however, I am certain several night club owners want to have many customers, young or old, Christians or Muslims, Jews or Hindus, but the DC night club owners who chased away Ali Ahmed Muhammad from entering their night club and finally murdered him must be the exceptional.

  16. My deepest sympathy to his family and friends.
    Unless unbiased witness saw Ali throwing a brick on their property, I don’t believe an Ethiopian who was raised in Ethiopia would do such a thing. Even if he did throw a brick because of some alcohol he consumed, no one should be beat to death in a civilized democratic country. Woyanes are determined to make Ethiopians look like worthless citizens and to create friction between Black Americans and Ethiopians as they have done in Ethiopia between ethnic groups. Please beware and be vigilant at all times. I ask Ethiopians to be patient for justice to take its course before you start protesting for injustice. Some Woyanes like #17 are already taunting Ethiopians to do something before the hearing has started. If it is possible, let the Ethiopian community hire a private attorney and let the attorney do his job.

  17. This can happen to anyone for being at the wrong place and at the very wrong time. We should all until the investigation comes out before we come to conclusions. Some of these bouncers can be vicious just like pit bulls. Most of them have to some extents stints with the slammer. And you throw bricks at them and break windows? You are asking for trouble. What they did wrong and criminal and they should be served with due justice. But for those expatriates especially the younger folks: This is a lesson. Try to find a mate and settle down. Work hard since you never had the chance to do so when you were back home. There is a lot to lose by being victims to crimes such as this one or any other self-provoked incidence. It is a jungle out there and at its brutally violent. It is not worth it.

  18. Any death is regrettable because it is a precious lose of human life. I just wished the man was not involved in as trivial and senseless action as he was participating in. It is not excusable for any one to throw rocks to any business or entity for that matter as that also have the potential of causing harm and even death. It is a big lesson for me as an individual.

  19. I think the club owner should face justice. he could have taken care of the property damage may be with a couple of dollars.. now the owner has to face jail… this is United States of America, not Africa , all the participants of this beating should face justice. I am sure they would not raise their hand if the victim was an African American or white.. they attacked him brutally simply because he is Ethiopian.. they might think they can simply walk away with it..

  20. Man I hanged-out laughed and joked smoked drunk with this brother i cannot believe this!!! Ali was a club social fun loving Cheerful,Proud Ethiopian Person. what a wonderful brother Ethiopia has lost he had a great love for his beloved country great love for his beloved Ethiopians people, great speaker, one time we called him the DMV area social worker. I visioned him being a great leader one day… what a tragedy those bastards must pay for this. We Ethiopians must forget the religion,politics ethnics differences and unite as a nations as black brothers and sisters and protect and support our people we got to do it for us. nobody is going to do this for us as along us we stay divided with politics,religion ethnics,social economics or what have you: we will never reach our full potential. this is a wake up call for all of us individualism is never been our culture we are a social people. Hey i Love You Ali I got to go for now Ali i Know You reading this page i just want you to give me a sign why to leave so young in such 20 some thing years old. my brother you always in my heart My The ancestors guide you to the spiritual world ! Henok.From Marland

  21. What is next? People, we need to flood DC streets and protest inorder to bring those evil sprited barberians to justice. Let’s unite once agsin and show our strength to the world. It doesn’t matter what political views we have. As the nation of Ethiopia,we should be together on this. As always, we need to unite quickly and act peacefully. We not let go off this matter.

  22. In a country where even innocent people get framed for murder they never committed, it won’t surprise me the way they can get away with murdering a human being in a dispicably savage manner. Ethiopians & Eritreans alike have got to rally around Ali (RIP) & get those inhuman savages brought before the law get the full force of the law. They should never be allowed to get away with it easily. It’ll teach a lesson to others and will think twice before they are tempted to take advantage of situations like this. Unity of the Ethiopian community around Ali’s case will send a shiver down their spineless spine.
    I’ll do my level best from UK to raise awareness.
    God bless your struggle for justice!

  23. Not that nobody deserves to be beaten to death but the dead guy was WRONG. If you are not allowed to enter a club probably because it was late hours, go somewhere else or home….especially it is wrong to hurl stone to somebody’s property.

  24. Is this USA or a banana republic?
    How can you sell alcohol to make people get drunk and kill a person for breaking your window under the influence of alcohol?
    These murderers don’t deserve to be out side prison for one minute even if they are under electronic surveillance.
    Is this the beginning of worse things to happen?
    Where is justice?
    Is America declining to a banana republic?

  25. We ethiopian are the new black this days! we always been facing discrimination, harassment, and know death! We are loving peaceful people for anybody! we are known with our innocent loving smile! why do we deserve this, specially such kind of injustice in a free country! He was bagging for mercy, he don’t even fight back. why, why, why….. this is hate crime I say…

  26. Why? Why ALI? He was so young with so many plans. He would never be that desperate to go in to that gay and transgender filled club just to have fun. There must be a reason that the DC-9 night club owners arenot telling. Anybody with information please come forward and let us get our revenge to the fullest on these this homosexuality promoters that murdered Ali.

  27. DC is home to the largest Ethiopian community. It would be SHAME if these hyenas get free after this barbaric act. shame to all of us Ethiopians and Eritreans if we don’t fight back, tomorrow,it could be one of us!

  28. What a sad story. Well, Ethiopians living in DC, let us see how you will react to this one. You keep telling us you fight for the 85 million Ethiopian people. Let us see how you could handle one life at your back yard.

  29. i really think to view this as a racist act is not correct-

    the men at DC9 overreacted and committed a terrible crime- but if a white man had thrown a brick through the window, they would’ve beaten him to death as well. i know its a terrible, sad situation for the whole community of DC-

    but really, this could have been anyone. this is the nature of angry people with too much power (bouncers at clubs, bartenders, etc) and too much pride in their stupid bar!

  30. This is a felony murder and a homicide with
    malice. Five people chased and beat to death one single human being not an elephant.It is not a one to one altercation that escalated and resulted in death. Victim was chased and brutally beaten to die period, a very serious crime.

  31. I strongly believe that some impudent Ethiopian kids in dc area deserve this. What in the hell is he doing around their place at that time of the night? On top of that, his act is purely an act of provocation which will absolutely exonerate the guys from any criminal liability. Can you folks put yourself in their shoe and think of watching your property destroyed by a f**ing immigrant? I think they have done what anyone in their place would do, except that the tragedy happens. So dear my fellow Ethiopians this is a good lesson for you. Watch out your kids.

  32. Almazze @#16 you said” For the man throwing rock into the window could have hurt other innocent patrons who come to enjoy their night. The owners have the responsibilities to provide a safe place for the patrons to spend their hard earned money and protect their patrons, so its hard to judge the matter till all facts are presented. Video cameras can be of great help to resolve such dispute, although voice is not audible, but body language could tell a greatdeal.” I hope you don’t own a club. Just because they want to protect the innocent patrons with or with out video camera there is no justice in killing a human being like a fly no way ,no one is above the law.

  33. I can’t believe so-called civilized people kicked and stomped on his head making his head swell when he was begging for mercy! They could have held him until the police arrived – they (5 of them) actually carried out a death sentence on him! The extreme action these people took is not what one would expect from employees of a club. Is this the kind of decision responsible people make? I don’t think so. This is not to say that what Ali did was ok. My point is that he didn’t deserve such brutal treatment.

  34. There is one thing and one thing only. This is a very crucial test to Ethiopians of all walks of life. The way we respond to this particular case will have a very serious impact to each of us way we are percieved by others. Justice we demand and Justice must take its course. Unfortunately, justice could be influenced by politics. Let us be there not to influence it to our advantage but to make sure justice is practiced appropriately.

  35. If dc 9 is a gay club, I smell something those bastard animals hide something besides the truth. This should be a time we need to defend ourselves. look the owner at the video? wierdo, God!

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