Thursday, February 14, 2019

Sources Say Police Investigating Whether Jussie Smollett Staged Hate Crime With Help of Others


Very sad if true -- but this story has never sounded right from the get-go. Sure wish the facts would finally come out so we can all move past whatever the fallout is. 

I guess the most incriminating thing now is that one of the people believed to be in the grainy image police released has appeared on "Empire." If your colleague had been attacked in this incredibly high-profile way and you innocently happened to be walking around the area at 2 a.m. when it took place, would you really not speak to the authorities ... until you were picked up by them after they traced a Lyft record back to you? (Maybe if you were hiding something.) Also, Jussie Smollett said he is certain the men in the video are the ones who assaulted him -- only both men are black, which completely undermines the MAGA narrative. None of it makes any sense.



ABC7 reports:

Chicago police confirmed Thursday that detectives are talking to two persons of interest in connection with the alleged attack on "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett.

Multiple sources have told ABC7 Eyewitness News that police are investigating whether Smollett and the two men staged the attack allegedly because Smollett was being written off of "Empire."

A source familiar with the investigation told the ABC7 I-Team that Smollett failed to appear for an interview with detectives earlier Thursday.

A source briefed on the Smollett investigation confirmed to ABC News that Chicago police are questioning the two persons of interest -- one of whom has appeared on "Empire."

The law enforcement official also told ABC News that the homes of the persons of interest were raided Wednesday night. Police removed shoes, electronic devices and other items they believe could help them they determine if the two people played any role in the assault, or if the assault happened at all. The two were picked up Wednesday night at O'Hare International Airport, police said.

Smollett said he was attacked around 2 a.m. on Jan. 29 in the 300 block of East North Water Street in Chicago's Streeterville neighborhood. He told police two masked men recognized him from “Empire” and then shouted racist and homophobic slurs at him, attacked him, put a rope around his neck and poured a liquid on him that smelled like bleach.

Smollett, 36, is black and openly gay.

Police said they have not found surveillance video that shows the attack. But earlier in the investigation, they did release grainy surveillance images of two possible persons of interest. The photos show two silhouettes on New Street near Illinois Street between 1:30 a.m. and 1:45 a.m. on Jan. 29.

In a statement released Thursday, police said they identified the two people in the surveillance photos and tracked them down using cameras, public transportation records and corroborating info provided by Smollett.

The investigation is ongoing.

UPDATE: Anthony Guglielmi, spokesman for Chicago Police Department, tweeted this in response to the latest news:

@AJGuglielmi Media reports about the “Empire” incident being a hoax are unconfirmed by case detectives. 

Visit CWB Chicago HERE.

2 comments:

jaragon said...

Smollet was very convincing in the interview

Kenneth M. Walsh said...

He's an actor. :-)