Photo by rockcreek.

Developments are coming in fast, but NBCWashington.com is on top of the most recent one — according to an email sent out by Councilmember Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), five DC9 employees have been arrested for allegedly beating a man to death early this morning after he threw a brick through the bar’s window. As we speculated, police are considering using their emergency powers to close down the bar for 96 hours, as they have done in other cases. According to Graham’s email:

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.

The five will be arraigned this afternoon, and some may possibly be charged with homicide. Also, TBD just uploaded a picture of blood at the intersection of U and 9th Streets, where the beating happened. We have a call in to DC9’s management, and will obviously update if we hear back.

TBD quotes a DC9 manager as stating that the beating was not the cause of the man’s death:

But DC9 manager KT Robeson says that the victim was not in fact beaten, but merely restrained. “Whatever he died from had to do with something pre-existing,” Robeson says. “He was not beaten, that is a lie.” Another DC9 employee told ABC 7 a similar tale, saying DC9 employees were holding down the man, waited for police to arrive, and watched police put him into the back of a cop car.

Last night’s show at DC9 featured Agnostic Front, a hardcore punk band. There’s no word on whether the man who died was attending the show or not.