Chicago police have released hundreds of files and nearly 70 hours of video footage from its investigation into the alleged staged hate crime incident against actor Jussie Smollett.
The videos released include footage from when officers arrived at Smollett’s home and are greeted by the actor with a makeshift noose around his neck.
Officers asked the actor if he wanted to take the noose off, to which he replied “Yeah. I do. I just wanted you all to see it.”
**LISTEN: Dan discusses the explosive new Project Veritas video about Google’s tyranny**
According to ABC 7, Smollett’s manager tells officers on the video, “He doesn’t want this to be a big deal. The thing that makes me emotional is they put this makeshift loop, what do you call that thing, a noose around his (expletive) neck. I’m sorry, you know. And that is what bothers me, the cut thing doesn’t bother me at all. If that makes any sense.”
When Smollett learned that the police body cameras were recording the entire discussion, they ask for the officers to turn off their cameras.
“You’re filming this right?” Smollett’s manager asks.
“Yes, this is all data,” an officer replies. “It’s his house.”
“They are filming,” Smollett’s manager tells the actor. “Can we turn it off?”
“Yeah,” the officer replies. “You are giving us permission to shut it off?”
Chicago Police enter Jussie Smollett’s home after report of racist and homophobic attack on Jan. 29. He’s still wearing a long white rope around his neck. @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/OeGIjsT6gb
— Megan Hickey (@MeganHickeyTV) June 24, 2019
Police also released footage of the two brothers who were accused of “attacking” Smollett–Abel and Ola Osundairo–being taken into custody at Chicago’s O’Hare airport.
Body cam video shows the Osundairo brothers being taken into custody at O’Hare Airport on February 14 @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/LBzryM8Ffa
— Megan Hickey (@MeganHickeyTV) June 24, 2019
Just last week, a Cook County judge ordered that a special prosecutor be appointed to investigate prosecutors’ decisions to drop charges against Smollett.
The Chicago Tribune reports:
Judge Michael Toomin ruled that State’s Attorney Kim Foxx had the right to withdraw from the prosecution but could not legally appoint her top deputy to handle the case in her place.
The special prosecutor could end up charging Smollett, Toomin said, and if the investigation uncovers suspicion of wrongdoing by others, additional charges could be brought.
Toomin made the decision even though the county’s inspector general’s office is already investigating the decision by State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office to look into the controversy. Foxx herself, however, agreed to that probe.
Former appellate judge, Sheila O’Brien initiated efforts to have a special prosecutor appointed, claiming that State’s Attorney Kim Foxx created “a perception that justice was not served here, that Mr. Smollett received special treatment.”
Foxx quietly recused herself from Smollett’s case in March and released a statement that she “had conversations with a family member of Jussie Smollett about the incident and their concerns and facilitated a connection to the Chicago Police Department, who were investigating the incident.’”
Email and text message records show that former Obama staffer Tina Tchen reached out to Foxx on Feb 1 saying the Smollett family had “concerns about the investigation.”
Foxx wrote to Tchen: “Spoke to Superintendent Johnson. I convinced him to (r)each out to FBI to ask that they take over the investigation. He is reaching out now and will get back to me shortly.”
Other messages show Foxx wrote to an unnamed Smollett family member: “spoke to the (police) superintendent earlier, he made the ask. Trying to figure out the logistics.”
The person responded: “Omg this would be a huge victory.”
Smollett was arrested in February after police officially classified him as a suspect for allegedly filing a false police report. He had claimed he was the victim of a homophobic and racist attack that occurred in January in Chicago where two men poured a chemical substance on him, put a rope around his neck and said “This is MAGA country!”
On March 8, Smollett was indicted on 16 felony counts and faced up to 48 years in prison. However, on March 26, all charges against the actor were dropped.
