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Chicago PD Releases 70 Hours of Damning Smollett Case Footage

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Chicago police on Monday released video and investigative files related the alleged staged attack involving Jussie Smollett.

In January, Smollett, a gay and black actor who was then a star on the show “Empire,” claimed to be the victim of a homophobic and racist hate crime attack perpetrated by two men.

However, Smollett’s claims were sketchy at best.

And soon, police started investigating whether or not he had staged the attack himself.

The results of the police investigation eventually determined that Smollett had made “false reports to police claiming to be the victim of an Aggravated Battery.”

While police characterized the incident as a hoax, the charges against Smollett were soon dismissed by Cook County prosecutors.

The resulting tension between the prosecutor’s office and the police department has caused both parties to come under scrutiny.

As such, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office’s handling of the case is now being investigated, while the Chicago Police Department has stood behind its claim that Smollett fabricated the attack.

Now, police have made public a voluminous archive of files related to the case.

Do you think Jussie Smollett should serve jail time?

“We stand firmly behind the work of detectives in investigating the fabricated incident reported by Jussie Smollett & #ChicagoPolice will fully cooperate with the court appointed special prosecutor,” Anthony Guglielmi, the department’s chief communications officer, wrote on Twitter.

One of the body camera videos released by police appears to show Smollett as officers are entering his apartment following the alleged incident in question.

He is standing in his main living area with large loops of rope draped across his chest — something his manager had characterized as a “noose,” according to WLS-TV.

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After police ask if he wants to remove the rope from his chest and neck, Smollett complies, but not before saying, “I just wanted y’all to see.”

“There’s bleach on me. They poured bleach on me,” Smollett adds.

WARNING: The following video contains vulgar language that some viewers may find offensive. Viewer discretion is advised.

The blurred effect over Smollett’s face in the video is a result of the fact that he was originally considered to be the victim.

In total, police released almost 70 hours of video connected to the Smollett case, WLS-TV reported.

Later in the same video, Smollett’s manager asks the police officers to stop recording.

“You’re filming this right?” Smollett’s manager asks.

The officers acknowledged that they are.

“It’s his house,” one of the officers says.

“They are filming, the manager responds, according to WLS-TV. “Can we turn it off?

As noted above, the charges against Smollett were eventually dropped.

However, he had to agree to perform community service and forfeit his $10,000 bond payment.

And even still, he might not be out of the woods yet.

As WLS-TV noted, “A special prosecutor will soon be appointed to look into why Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx dropped the case and whether Smollett should be re-charged.”

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G.S. Hair is the former executive editor of The Western Journal.
G.S. Hair is the former executive editor of The Western Journal and vice president of digital content of Liftable Media.

After graduating law school from the Cecil C. Humphries School of Law, Mr. Hair spent a decade as an attorney practicing at the trial and appellate level in Arkansas and Tennessee. He represented clients in civil litigation, contractual disputes, criminal defense and domestic matters. He spent a significant amount of time representing indigent clients who could not afford private counsel in civil or criminal matters. A desire for justice and fairness was a driving force in Mr. Hair's philosophy of representation. Inspired by Christ’s role as an advocate on our behalf before God, he often represented clients who had no one else to fight on their behalf.

Mr. Hair has been a consultant for Republican political candidates and has crafted grassroots campaign strategies to help mobilize voters in staunchly Democrat regions of the Eastern United States.

In early 2015, he began writing for Conservative Tribune. After the site was acquired by Liftable Media, he shut down his law practice, moved to Arizona and transitioned into the position of site director. He then transitioned to vice president of content. In 2018, after Liftable Media folded all its brands into The Western Journal, he was named executive editor. His mission is to advance conservative principles and be a positive and truthful voice in the media.

He is married and has four children. He resides in Phoenix, Arizona.
Birthplace
South Carolina
Education
Homeschooled (and proud of it); B.A. Mississippi College; J.D. University Of Memphis
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Culture, Faith, Politics




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