WASHINGTON — A month after a deadly punch outside a D.C. restaurant and bar killed a well-loved Alexandria tech executive, the owners are being called in to answer questions about that fateful night.
The Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration is moving to the second phase of the hearing process and will require the owners of Akedo and DC's Police Chief to testify about the night Vivek Taneja was killed.
This is all in response to this letter sent to ABCA by DC's Police Chief Pamela Smith. In it, she writes that the violent offense "is directly connected to the operations and security protocol at the establishment."
Police say on Feb. 2, 2024, the victim – 41-year-old Vivek Taneja – and the suspect both attended a soft opening for Akedo on 15th and L streets, Northwest.
After Akedo closed, police say the suspect approached Taneja. Investigators say a verbal altercation got physical and Taneja struck his head on the concrete and lost consciousness. The 41-year-old died a week later.
A spokesperson for Akedo maintains the two had no interaction inside and the fight occurred in the courtyard and out of their sightlines.
For the first time, we are hearing from Taneja's colleagues of the tech company he co-founded and served as president. Alex Duan CEO of Dynamo Technologies sent us this statement:
"We do not know the details surrounding Akedo's hearing with the liquor board. While the DC Police Chief may be focused on the crime as it relates to Akedo's security, we are more concerned that his killer is still free and not being brought to justice. Regardless of whether or not alcohol was involved in the incident, one should not be able just to start a fight and kill someone without repercussions. As a person of color, it's hard not to think that if Vick had been the attacker versus being the deceased, he would already be in custody facing the consequences of his actions."
While police have not identified the suspect, WUSA9 can confirm charges are pending against the man.