A person of interest was released from custody with no charges following the death of a Hubbard Inn security guard who police initially said had been pushed down stairs at the River North restaurant which has been temporarily closed down since the early Monday incident, police said. A spokesperson f or the River North restaurant and nightclub told the Chicago Sun-Times the closure is temporary and they plan on being open for business this weekend. In an earlier statement emailed to the Chicago Sun-Times, a Hubbard Inn spokesperson said they were shattered by the death of Bryan Christopher Watson, who was identified by the Cook County medical examiner's office, and would give staffers time to process what happened. "The Hubbard Inn team is devastated by last night's tragic incident and our hearts are with the family who lost their loved one," a spokesperson said. "We can't comment on the specifics as the work of CPD is ongoing, but we are closing our doors to the public for the next couple of days while giving staff time to grieve and provide access to mental health support to those who may need it."Meanwhile, Chicago police have released from custody a 32-year-old man without charges. Earlier police said he allegedly pushed Watson, 35 and of the city's Garfield Park neighborhood. Around 1:20 a.m. Monday morning at 110 W. Hubbard St., Watson was working as a security guard tried to intervene during a fight involving a group of people and a 32-year-old man who pushed the guard down stairs. Watson was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. An autopsy conducted by the medical examiner's office was inconclusive as to the cause and manner of Watson's death and was pending further studies. The River North nightclub and restaurant is owned by Carmen Rossi, a lobbyist, lawyer and city contractor who owns many bars and restaurants through his hospitality group, 8 hospitality. Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot returned campaign contributions from Rossi’s businesses after the Chicago Sun-Times reported she took the money despite a ban on mayors taking money from city lobbyists. Shortly after, Rossi paid a $5,000 fine for breaking lobbying rules by trying to secure business licenses to operate parking lots on Chicago Public Schools property when he wasn’t registered as a lobbyist with his company Chicago Parking Solutions.Rossi also benefitted from Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration at City Hall. Along with his business partners and clients, Rossi gleaned $38.5 million in deals under Johnson. He is no longer registered as a City Hall lobbyist, but he is registered to lobby state lawmakers in Springfield and owns a cannabis startup that has converted a bank building in suburban Bolingbrook into a dispensary.In 2024, Hubbard Inn was the site where a woman posted a video to social media claiming she was manhandled by a security guard and thrown down the stairs. A judge later dismissed nearly all of the accusations made. ...read more read less