Photo by rockcreek.

The Washington City Paper and TBD are both reporting this afternoon that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has dropped all charges against the five DC9 employees arrested in connection with the death of Ali Ahmed Mohammed on October 15. It is still possible that the charges could be reinstated if the autopsy report from the medical examiner’s office determines that Mohammed’s death was a homicide.

The five employees — club co-owner Bill Spieler, Darryl Carter, Evan Preller, Reginald Phillips and Arthur Zaloga — were initially charged with murder, but had those charges reduced to aggravated assault on October 16. The USAO ruling is surprising, especially in light of comments made by Councilmember Jim Graham on October 19 which indicated that murder charges were forthcoming.

Via City Paper, here is the statement made by the USAO regarding the dropped charges:

Our work is not done. The tragic death of Ali Ahmed Mohammed demands that we undertake a careful and comprehensive investigation to determine precisely how he died. Today’s action was taken after a detailed examination of the evidence gathered during the first three weeks of the investigation and a determination that we need more information before moving forward. Our investigation will be informed by pending forensic analyses and the ruling of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on the cause and manner of death, important factors in any death inquiry.

The search for justice cannot be rushed, and we will continue to pursue an active and vigorous inquiry. This is a time of unbearable grief for Mr. Mohammed’s family and friends. We thank them for their patience and understanding as we continue our work.

Mohammed’s family has released the following statement regarding the news through their attorney, Billy Martin of Howrey LLP:

Today, the family of Ali Ahmed Mohammed was informed that the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia has dismissed the charges against the five individuals  accused of assaulting Ali. The family is heartbroken and continues to grieve over the loss of Ali. The family and community are saddened by this dismissal because justice for Ali will be delayed. They hope and pray that justice delayed is not justice denied. The dismissal of these charges does not terminate the investigation into Ali’s killing. The family remains confident that a full and complete investigation will reveal that prior to being chased and assaulted by some or all of these individuals, Ali was alive and healthy. The family understands that the Medical Examiner needs additional time to investigate both the manner and cause of Ali’s death. The family also deserves to know the truth about how Ali died. We have been assured by the Metropolitan Police Department and the United States Attorney’s office that they will continue their investigation of this senseless homicide. More importantly, the family continues to grieve over the loss of Ali and prays for and demands justice. The family will have no peace until those responsible for Ali’s death are brought to justice.