Plan B Forum

Focus of Jussie Smollett assault investigation has ‘shifted,’ Chicago police say

By Bethonie Butler
February 16 at 11:27 PM

Chicago police say new information in the case involving an alleged assault against Jussie Smollett has “shifted the trajectory of the investigation” and that they want to interview the “Empire” actor again.

In a statement Saturday night, police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the information was received in interviews with two individuals who were questioned by police and that the department has reached out to Smollett’s attorney to request a follow-up interview.

Chicago police said last month they were investigating an alleged assault against Smollett, who is black and openly gay, as a possible hate crime. Smollett told police he was attacked about 2 a.m. on Jan. 29 by two people who yelled racial and homophobic slurs, tied a rope around his neck, and poured a chemical substance, which he believes was bleach, on him. According to Smollett, at least one assailant told him “this is MAGA country” during the alleged attack.[Gee, a racial slur, a gay slur, a noose, and a Trump reference to boot. That pretty much checks all the boxes...I guess they forgot their KKK hoods.]

On Friday, Chicago police said they had arrested two potential suspects on “probable cause that they may have been involved in an alleged crime.” Guglielmi told The Washington Post that at least one of the two men, who were later released without being charged, has worked on the Fox drama. Guglielmi did not confirm whether the men — who are of Nigerian descent and believed to be the “persons of interest” seen in surveillance images released by police last month — knew Smollett.

The sources told CNN there are records that show the two brothers purchased the rope found around Smollett's neck at a hardware store in Chicago.

“Due to new evidence as a result of today's interrogations, the individuals questioned by police in the Empire case have now been released without charging and detectives have additional investigative work to complete,” Guglielmi said in a tweet Friday night.

The latest police statement comes amid increasing news reports, which cite unnamed police sources, that Smollett may have staged his own attack in the city last month.

"It feels like if I had said it was a Muslim or a Mexican or someone black I feel like the doubters would have supported me a lot much more," Smollett said. "And that says a lot about the place where we are as a country right now."

Burning Petard wrote:Rubato, reading your post above, I had a flashback to J. Heller's 'God Knows' and his version of Kings David and Solomon.

So do you mind if I write your observation down in my notebook?

snailgate

This is a nation of 325 million people and someone does something stupid every day. Most of it does not mean anything.

These kinds of attacks do take place. They take place far more frequently than they are faked. There needs to be zero tolerance and maximum punishment for anyone staging a hoax to provide a strong deterrent value. Bringing an end to these hoax claims is essential to preserving justice for the real victims.

rubato wrote:
Suit yourself. I have not heard of "god knows" but I'll order a copy and put it in the pile of books I haven't read.

yrs,
rubato

rubato wrote:He is an actor and depends for his career on the good opinion of the public. There is no need to hyperventilate about increasing his punishment.


yrs,
rubato

Joe Guy wrote:I can remember back in the olden days when people would attack gay black people without charging some outrageous fee that only a rich celebrity could afford.