Ethiopian community leaders recently pressed U.S. Attorney Ron Machen on whether the District will file new charges against five DC9 employees in connection with Ali Ahmed Mohammed‘s death, according to The Washington City Paper.
“They didn’t say anything,” says one attendee of Machen and his staff. The community leader prefers to remain anonymous, because he got the impression the U.S. Attorney’s office didn’t want the media to become privy to what went on at the two-hour meeting. He says community leaders were given “the standard party line.”
The meeting took place this Sunday, and also addressed other issues.
The 27-year-old’s death in October 2010 is mired in controversy. According to a police complaint, witnesses said they saw DC9 employees beat Mohammed outside of the bar after he threw bricks into the nightclub’s front window. His death was ruled a homicide and charges were filed against five DC9 employees.
However, those charges were eventually dropped, and the city’s medical examiner said Mohammed wasn’t beaten by the employees. The official cause of death was ruled “excited delirium associated with arrhythmogenic cardiac anomalies, alcohol intoxication and physical exertion with restraint.”
The City Paper reported that community leaders asked Machen if police had provided inaccurate information, in light of the police complaint. An attendee said Machen didn’t answer the question directly, according to the City Paper.
Prosecutors are still investigating Mohammed’s homicide.
