The five men accused in a fatal beating near a U Street night club have been charged with aggravated assault.
DC9 owner William Spieler and four club employees — Darryl Carter, Reginald Phillips, Evan Preller and Arthur Zaloga — were arrested Friday and originally booked on second-degree murder charges in the death of Ali Ahmed Mohammed, 27, of Silver Spring.
Mohammed was beaten to death at about 2:30 a.m. Friday outside the club, located on 1900 block of Ninth Street NW. The medical examiner has not yet ruled on the cause of death.
A preliminary hearing for the five men accused in the beating will take place next month.
