About an hour before Ali Ahmed Mohammed threw a brick through DC9’s window on Oct. 15, 21-year-old Georgio Tuccio took out another of the club’s glass panes. According to charging documents, Tuccio put his fist through it. In recent filings connected to a destruction of property charge, Tuccio’s lawyer contends that there are witnesses who say his client did so because DC9 employees beat him up. “Through investigation, the defense has learned that other witnesses will testify that Mr. Tuccio was assaulted by employees of DC9 club outside of the club, immediately prior to Mr. Tuccio punching the window.”

The document then mentions the murder and assault charges previously levied (but now dismissed) against the five former DC9 employees who are thought to have chased down Mohammed before he died. “The employees who were arrested and charged are the same employees who witnesses say assaulted Mr. Tuccio one hour earlier.”

The assertion lends even more drama to an already taut situation. The D.C. medical examiner will soon announce the cause and manner of Mohammed’s death. If  it turns out the autopsy says Mohammed was beaten to death, that could give credibility to Tuccio’s story. If not, that may suggest Tuccio’s version of events amounts to some opportunistic maneuvering after the patron lost his temper and did something unwise.

Danny Onorato, an attorney for former DC9 employee Evan Preller, had no comment on Tuccio’s filing. Other attorneys for the former DC9 employees didn’t immediately respond to City Desk’s inquiries.