WASHINGTON – D.C.’s top prosecutor has declined to press charges in a death investigation involving two men who got into a fight outside of a restaurant.

They say the evidence wasn’t there but the family of the man who died disagrees and is continuing their search for justice.

It was 2 a.m. on Feb. 2 when a fight broke out between a man and 41-year-old Virginia Tech Executive Vivek Taneja. It was all caught on camera,

Prosecutors say it’s unclear whether it was a punch or him falling to the ground but Taneja would later die from his injuries.

FOX 5 obtained video of the fight through the U.S. Attorney’s Office. In it, Tanaja is seen sitting in a courtyard with two women.

Then, a man in gray, who the Washington Post is reporting was a former Arlington police officer, is walking and then stops and starts talking to the three of them.

It appears a verbal altercation begins, with the two women trying to separate the men. Then, punches are thrown. Taneja winds up unconscious on the ground, unconscious.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Victim dies after assault in Northwest, death ruled as a homicide: police

In a letter announcing that they’re declining to press charges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who called this death tragic, indicated they believe it was Taneja who threw the first punch in the scuffle and didn’t think charges applied, adding that they’d have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the other man was not acting in self-defense.

While the U.S. Attorney says they investigated this thoroughly, family, and attorneys representing Vivek Taneja have requested a different team of prosecutors review the case. 

They also challenge the conclusion that Taneja threw the first punch, and think more investigating needs to be done to add additional context to what happened leading up to the video.

The U.S. Attorney’s office declined further comment beyond the letter notifying that they weren’t pressing charges.

FOX 5’s David Kaplan will have more at 10 p.m. and 11 p.m.

WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said a woman was stabbed in Northeast D.C. early Sunday morning.

Police said that at about 1:40 a.m., they were dispatched to the 4000 block of Minnesota Avenue for the report of a stabbing.

Police said she had non-life-threatening injuries and was conscious and breathing. 

MPD said the victim chose not to be taken to a hospital for further treatment.

Each day we lead efforts to champion and promote the projects, products and people in our communities and throughout the region to support economic resiliency and growth.

We are a region rich with stories, like our aviation history that began with the Wright Brothers living here, to world-renowned education institutes producing great authors and athletes, to welcoming immigrants who’ve been at the foundation of many of our communities.

There is no shortage of stories that allow us to champion and promote the region.

Our stories came in handy earlier this month when we brought a regional delegation of business and community leaders to Washington, D.C., to advocate and promote our region and the communities within.

Some ask, “Why do you do this together?” or “Why stand behind another’s priorities that don’t directly impact your particular business or community?”

The simple fact is that the business community faces many common challenges, and, more importantly, has the same goals. We all want to see our communities thrive, our businesses grow and our workers and future workers succeed.

In public policy advocacy, there is power in numbers.

Together, we are represented by four federally elected officials, who are members of 11 powerful congressional committees, including Finance, Small Business, Appropriations, and Energy and Commerce.

Together, the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance and Greater Iowa City Inc. represent more than 4,000 business members that collectively employ over 100,000 workers.

We went to Washington with one unified bipartisan voice and message: championing each other’s projects and priorities to uplift our entire region.

As a group, we advocated for policies that will allow our region to attract and retain a skilled workforce and our businesses to remain competitive, including pushing to increase Pell Grant funding so more students have access to high-demand post-secondary degrees and training, including the trades.

We sought support for a joint grant application between the Eastern Iowa Airport (CID), Kirkwood Community College and Coe College to further their innovative efforts to build the aviation workforce pipeline.

We shared stories of how Collins Aerospace, as well as their local small business suppliers, will benefit from visa reform that will increase the number of high-skilled workers coming to our region.

Our region has proven that strong public-private partnerships have contributed to the growth of our communities, including new investments to plan for increasing our populations.

We urged continued support for crucial Eastern Iowa infrastructure projects that spur economic development and further our ability to remain competitive, including Forevergreen Road expansion, the Burlington Street Bridge replacement and completing Tower Terrace Road.

The return on investment of this trip goes beyond financial or monetary outcomes to the rich relationships we continue to build. We spent considerable time talking with our diligent and dedicated federal staff, hosted a reception promoting our region to 75 D.C.-based professionals with a connection to Eastern Iowa, and built stronger connections with each other.

Time is your friend when you travel as a group. Normally, you don’t have the chance to spend so much “off-time” with the mayor of a neighboring town, or see a small businessperson share a conversation with a university official at the Congressional Baseball Game for Charity or meet a recently retired Marine who attended our celebratory reception and is interested in returning home to Iowa.

Two quick days in our nation’s capital brought all that and more. We welcome all who wish to join our efforts. By showcasing our region as cohesive and collaborative, we will continue to achieve great things and have even more stories to tell.

Nancy Bird is president and CEO of Greater Iowa City Inc. Doug Neumann is the executive director of the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance.

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