News

Jussie Smollett officially called a suspect; Case being presented to grand jury

FILE - In this May 20, 2016 file photo, actor and singer Jussie Smollett attends the "Empire" FYC Event in Los Angeles. Chicago police say they're interviewing two "persons of interest" who surveillance photos show were in the downtown area where Smollett says he was attacked last month. A police spokesman said Thursday the two men aren't considered suspects but may have been in the area at the time Smollett says he was attacked. Smollett says two masked men shouted racial and homophobic slurs before beating him and putting a rope around his neck on Jan. 29. (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

CHICAGO — UPDATE Wednesday 8:30 p.m.: "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett is charged with felony disorderly conduct after authorities in Chicago said he's accused of filing a false police report.

------------------------------------------------

Earlier Version:

Actor Jussie Smollett Smollett is officially classified as a suspect in a criminal investigation by Chicago police.

Authorities said he's accused of filing a false police report.

Detectives are currently presenting the evidence before a grand jury.

BACKGROUND

Smollett, who is black and gay and plays Jamal Lyon on the show, said the men attacked him at around 2 a.m. on Jan. 29 as he was walking home from a Subway sandwich shop in downtown Chicago.

He said they beat him, made racist and homophobic comments and yelled "This is MAGA country" - an apparent reference to President Donald Trump's campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again" - before looping a rope around his neck and fleeing.

TRENDING STORIES:

Investigators went through hundreds of hours of private and public surveillance video from the area where Smollett said he was attacked but couldn't find footage of the beating.

They did find and release images of two people they said they wanted to question.

And last week, police picked up the two brothers at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport as they returned from Nigeria and questioned them about the attack. They also searched the men's apartment.

The men, who were identified to multiple media outlets by their attorney as Abimbola "Abel" and Olabinjo "Ola" Osundairo, were held for nearly 48 hours on suspicion of assaulting Smollett before being released Friday.

Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said last week that media reports about the attack being a hoax were unconfirmed by case detectives, but on Saturday, he said the men provided information that had "shifted the trajectory of the investigation."

He also said detectives had requested another interview with Smollett.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Cox Media Group

0

Most Read