Posted on 02/08/2019 7:18:33 AM PST by Red Badger
CHICAGO — Police said they narrowed down the type of rope “Empire” star Jussie Smollet said was placed around his neck during an alleged attack.
Police said the rope is similar to rope sold to be used as a clothes line. Detectives have identified local stores where it’s sold and are reviewing surveillance video from those stores.
At this point, police have not found anything that conclusively proves Smollett was indeed attacked.
The actor told police that two men seemed to know who he was before they beat him, shouted racial and homophobic slurs, and looped a rope around his neck during an early-morning attack in Chicago, according to a recently released police report.
Smollett told police that two men dressed in black got his attention by mentioning the name of the TV show as he walked downtown early on Jan. 29. Smollett said the more aggressive man wore a black mask to conceal his face.
Smollett, who is black and openly gay, said the men then shouted slurs, beat him in the face with their hands and poured an unknown substance on him that stained his clothes. He said the men tied a rope around his neck before running away, according to a brief police report released to the public following a Freedom of Information request by media outlets.
The report noted that the 36-year-old actor said he initially didn’t want to report the attack, but that another person convinced him to do so. The name of the person who encouraged Smollet to call police was redacted in the report, which notes that the person was with Smollet when officers arrived at his Chicago apartment.
When officers arrived at his apartment, Smollett still had a white rope draped around his neck. The report also noted that officers turned off their body cameras at Smollett’s request, something that crime victims sometimes ask officers to do, according to Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.
No arrests have been made but police continue to collect and review surveillance video from the area and look for possible witnesses, Guglielmi said Tuesday. He said police are also going to stores to ask employees if they recall selling rope to anyone and to determine if security camera footage shows someone buying the kind of rope that was tied noose-like around Smollet’s neck.
“We are starting to search stores to see if any of this kind of rope was purchased in the area,” Guglielmi said.
Smollett went to Northwestern Memorial Hospital after being advised to do so by the officers, according to the police report. Police said he was treated for scrapes and bruises and released.
Smollett took officers to the spot where he was attacked and told investigators he’d received hate mail a week earlier. Police have said the FBI was investigating the letter, which was sent to the studio in Chicago where “Empire” is filmed.
Guglielmi said officers don’t yet have video showing the attack and are continuing to search for two men who were walking in the area at around the time of the attack to question them about what they may have seen.
Smollett and his family have defended themselves against allegations leveled on social media that he has been less than cooperative and changed his story. On Saturday, Smollett gave a concert at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, telling the audience that if he did not perform his attackers would win.
It really does seem to me to be a planned hoax... A cheesy letter sent earlier, his manager in on it with the maga comment, and his old queen waiting for him at the apartment to report the imaginary attack.
I think it was a combination of trying to boost this guy’s career (Empire is almost over and his music career was just launching), and scoring political points for an anti Trump agenda
It really does seem to me to be a planned hoax... A cheesy letter sent earlier, his manager in on it with the maga comment, and his old queen waiting for him at the apartment to report the imaginary attack.
I think it was a combination of trying to boost this guy’s career (Empire is almost over and his music career was just launching), and scoring political points for an anti Trump agenda
DING!...DING!...DING!...DING!...DING!...DING!...DING!...WE HAVE A WINNER!..................
This makes the story sound fake.
He gets beat up, the attackers put a rope around his neck, he escaped, went home, a friend persuaded him to report the crime.
So, in all this time he never takes the rope from around his neck?
Hahaha
Like you, I cannot wait for this to be exposed and see egg all over the faces of the political hacks who grandstanded on this
So they know where he got the rope from?
Sounds like he may be into that kind of thing.
Eventually.................
This is just ridiculous.
They have to proceed with all possible avenues of investigation, else they will be accused of ‘racism and homophobia’ bias......................
Yeah I don’t envy the popo on this.. they know this story is BS but it’s a political hot potato.
The “guy” is wasting police resources in a sick attempt to promote his acting career—look at me, pity me. Don’t cut me from the script, I’ve been oppressed.
Wasn’t it a white rope? If that’s not categorical proof of a racism-fueled hate crime, I don’t know what is. /s
Wore a BLACK MASK??? HAHAHAHA!!!! Hey, Gay Doofus.....your NEW LOVER IS BLACK! Mask, my ass.
Yep kite found in near by alley tests to ensue.
Someone has mention before that this was a gay hookup gone bad.
Possibly, but I don’t think so.
All circumstances point to a planned hoax...................
Probably not a lot of people hanging out their clothes in Chicago at this time of year. I suspect that they will find that he or his “friend” bought the clothesline and the purchase will be on video.
has anyone question where that POS queer Øbama was that night?
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