On Monday, nearly 70 hours of footage from hundreds of files regarding Jussie Smollett’s alleged hate crime attack had been released by the Chicago Police Department (CPD). From among the findings taken via a CPD body cam was footage showing Smollett wearing a noose around his neck.
Possibly the most daunting of all the footage, this file revealed that the cops on the scene had asked the actor why he was still wearing the noose and whether or not he wanted to take it off. Smollett, whose face is blurred in the video, said he just wanted to make sure the police saw the noose before removing it.
“I just wanted y’all to see,” said Smollett, who then started to unwind the rope. While doing so, he indicated, “There’s bleach on me.” He also insisted that the two attackers had spewed homophobic and racist slurs at him.
This snippet from among the mounds of new evidence in the Smollett case took place in the Empire star’s Chicago residence. Although upsetting, news about the noose has grabbed the attention of numerous outlets, including TMZ who pointed out that the rope had been “around his neck more than 40 minutes after his alleged attack.”
TMZ also said that when investigators first appeared on the scene, “Jussie was concerned about his neighbors hearing the fuss and he quickly invited them into his apartment.”
Not long after arriving, the detectives told Jussie that they were recording their visit. Smollett replied, “I don’t want to be filmed.” The police officers obliged him by switching off their body cams.
Portions of police video obtained in connection to the Jussie Smollett case have been released, giving a never-before-seen-look into the controversial case. https://t.co/nIi0BxQmiL
— ABC News (@ABC) June 24, 2019
On February 20, about three weeks after the encounter happened with the CPD, Smollett was arrested. He had been accused of staging and then lying about a racist and homophobic attack that was said to have occurred in late January. Police called the situation a hoax and, as a result, the actor was indicted on 16 felony counts.
Those charges were dismissed on March 26.
However, Cook County Judge Michael Toomin wasn’t happy with this decision. According to Fox News , Toomin “suggested that the county’s state’s attorney, Kim Foxx, mishandled the Smollett case by appointing a top aide to oversee it after she recused herself.”
“Foxx took issue with the ruling and explained that she ‘followed the advice of counsel and my then Chief Ethics Officer’ to recuse herself.”
Breaking: Chicago Police Department have released 70 hours of footage related to the #JussieSmollett hate crime hoax investigation. Local reporters are going through footage now. It includes Smollett having the “noose” around his neck. https://t.co/nVugwE2NjM
— Andy Ngô ???? (@MrAndyNgo) June 24, 2019
As of last Friday, a special prosecutor has been engaged to review the way the case has been handled. The judge’s appointed prosecutor now needs “to weigh the decision to drop the charges, opening the possibility that Smollett could be charged anew,” according to CBS News .
