‘Empire’ actor Jussie Smollett claimed two men beat him up, tied a noose around his neck, said racial and homophobic slurs and threw an unknown chemical substance on him Tuesday, The Associated Press reported.
Jussie told police the attackers concealed their faces and he couldn’t determine their race. In the initial report, he did not tell police the attackers yelled, “MAGA.’ Police found out later, after they heard about the alleged “MAGA” incident in the media, and called him to ask him about it.
THE TIMELINE
When Smollett called police at 2:42 a.m., he had the noose still around his neck from an attack that allegedly took place at 2 a.m. Police are analyzing the rope.
The FBI is now involved as well and is assisting about a dozen police detectives.
The police found a security image of Smollett alone inside a Subway near the location of the reported crime. They have additional video placing him at the scene of the crime.
Police do not have a video of the alleged assailants committing a crime.
When the police responded, Smollett requested police turn off their body cameras.
A person in the apartment had called the police. Smollett took himself to Northwestern Hospital.
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Yesterday, police reported that there have been “no obvious people that could be assailants.” They poured over hundreds of hours of surveillance video before they said that.
Police found images of two potential persons of interest, but it would be easier to lock in on the moon’s surface with a magnifying glass than to make out what the men look like. The men were walking in the general area of the “attack,” but it does not show an assault. Police would like to speak with the men.
The music manager
Smollet’s music manager, Brandon Moore, told Variety that he was on the phone with Smollett during the attack and heard some of it. He also claimed he “clearly” heard the words, “MAGA country,” and the racial slur.
The police can’t verify this independently because Smollett refused to turn over his phone.
Detectives used a time code from two different cameras to piece together Smollett’s movements when he was near the two men, the “persons of interest.” On one camera, the men are seated on the bench. The other camera shows Smollett across the street.
The one minute attack
Police say both Smollett and the “persons of interest” walk out of the frame on two different cameras. About a minute later, Smollett reappears on a different camera. Smollett is not on surveillance camera for only one minute, and the “persons of interest” are across the street at that time. They are also seen walking on the OTHER side of the road.
Smollett then appears on camera entering a condo building with a rope around his neck and is “wearing it like a necktie.”
Only a MINUTE had gone by since he was seen on video. He then appears walking into the building, walking by building security and getting on the elevator. He seems to have road salt on his sweatshirt.
In other words, in one minute two men poured bleach or something over his head, beat him and put a noose around his neck. After this “attack,” he walked past security casually and never said a word.
After that, he went to an acquaintance’s home, and that’s where police were called to take the report.
A neighbor of Smollett’s came forward and said she saw a man with a rope. But her description of the man with the rope was “significantly different” than one provided by Smollett.
Police can’t find any video of an individual matching the description she gave.
Read more at ABC news.
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