Chris Brown's 2009 assault on Rihanna, and subsequent five-year probation, has his freedom once again hanging in the balance, reports TMZ.

Following his arrest for allegedly fighting a fan in Washington D.C. over the weekend, the Los Angeles County Probation Department opened an investigation to determine whether or not the attack —downgraded from a felony to misdemeanor assault—violates the term of his probation.  

If so, Breezy could face more than four years behind bars.  "It's pretty clear he didn’t keep his nose clean," a source said. "It sure seems like a violation."

The department will send its findings over to the judge in the Rihanna case, along with input from the D.A. Brown, 24, has been in and out of legal trouble for much of 2013. His probation, which ends next year, came into question after a hit-and-run accident in May, but the charges were later dropped.

According to an E! News report, the "Love More" singer's behavior is related to a rumored drug addiction. "He’s a good kid, but he keeps messing up," revealed an insider. "He needs help. He keeps self-medicating with weed and alcohol and that’s when he always gets in trouble."

"No one is making excuses for Chris," the source continue. "No one is condoning what he has done. But what people don't realize is how bad it's gotten for him. He has all this money and success and he keeps apologizing, but he continues to be one of the most hated people in the business. He gets depressed and then self-medicates. He has a lot of yes-people around him who don't want to help. They just want the money and want to have a good time."

Reportedly, Brown’s relationship with Rih Rih ended earlier in the year because of his alleged drug use.   

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(Photo: Tom Briglia/FilmMagic/Getty Images)