Posted on 02/21/2019 7:44:33 AM PST by Red Badger
“Smollett took advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career," Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said at a news conference Thursday morning.
Accusing him of slapping the city in the face, Chicago police announced Thursday that “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett had been charged with concocting an attack in Streeterville, because “he was dissatisfied with his salary.”
“Smollett took advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career,” Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said at a news conference Thursday morning. “This publicity stunt was a scar that Chicago didn’t earn, and certainly didn’t deserve.”
Smollett turned himself in to Chicago police early Thursday morning, hours after he was charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself last month in Streeterville. Smollett turned himself in at the Central District police station at 18th and State streets around 5 a.m., police said. He made no statement to police.
NEW: Color booking photo of Jussie Smollett.
Facing disorderly conduct stemming from filing a false police report. @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/lpbZW6Sc5c
— Charlie De Mar (@CharlieDeMar) February 21, 2019
The actor and singer, who is black and openly gay, had told police he was attacked as he was walking home around 2 a.m. on Jan. 29. He claimed two masked men – one of them also wearing a red hat – shouted racist and homophobic slurs as they beat him, put a noose around his neck, and poured a chemical on them.
Police said, in reality, Smollett had paid those two men, Ola and Abel Osundairo, $3,500 by check to stage the attack.
“I’m left hanging my head and asking why. Why would anyone, especially an African American man, use the symbolism of a noose to make false accusations? How could someone look at the hatred and suffering associated with that symbol and see an opportunity to manipulate that symbol to further his own public profile?” Johnson said. “How can an individual who’s been embraced by the city of Chicago turn around and slap everyone in this city in the face by making these false claims?”
Johnson said bogus police reports cause real harm, and he fears future victims of real hate crimes will be met wit skepticism they have not faced before because of Smollett’s false claims.
“I’m offended by what’s happened, and I’m also angry,” Johnson said.
Smollett was scheduled to appear for a bond hearing Thursday afternoon on a felony charge of disorderly conduct.
Jussie Smollett’s made arrangements to turn himself in last night (away from cameras)
Now being processed. Fingers prints, mug shot..
He will be transported to court.
“He has made no statement to police.”-CPD spox @cbschicago
— Charlie De Mar (@CharlieDeMar) February 21, 2019
Disorderly conduct is a Class 4 Felony. CBS 2 Legal Analyst Irv Miller says Smollett could face probation to up to 1.5 years in prison.
Smollett’s attorneys released the following statement after he was charged Wednesday night:
“Like any other citizen, Mr. Smollett enjoys the presumption of innocence, particularly when there has been an investigation like this one where information, both true and false, has been repeatedly leaked. Given these circumstances, we intend to conduct a thorough investigation and to mount an aggressive defense.”
Two brothers, Ola and Abel Osundairo, were arrested last week, but later released without charges.
Sources have said the two brothers told police they helped stage the attack with Smollett. They said they were paid $3,500 to orchestrate the attack. They left for Nigeria hours after the attack, and were arrested days later when they returned to Chicago.
On Wednesday, they testified to a grand jury. Smollett was later charged with disorderly conduct.
RELATED: Complete Coverage Of The Smollett Story
The two brothers allegedly told police Smollett also was behind creating a racist letter sent to the show, according to two sources with first-hand knowledge of the investigation.
When that letter did not get a “bigger reaction,” Smollett orchestrated the attack a week later with the two men, sources said.
CBS 2 was first to obtain video of the brothers buying a red hat and ski masks from a store the day before the assault. The video shows Ola and Abel Osundairo placing the masks and a hat on the counter.
The brothers’ attorney Gloria Schmidt spoke to the media after the brothers testified in front of the grand jury for 2.5 hours.
“I think the biggest thing for the American people to know is that this story has a lot of complications to it,” Schmidt said.
Schmidt says the brothers are not expecting to be charged with any crime “because they are not guilty of anything.”
“I think Jussie’s conscience is not letting him sleep tonight,” Schmidt said. “So he should unload that conscience and just come out to the American people what actually happened.”
RELATED: Timeline Of Events In Jussie Smollett Case
Smollett has lawyered up—way up—hiring Los Angeles-based attorney Mark Geragos.
CBS 2’s Brad Edwards confirms Geragos will serve on Smollett’s defense team, which will still be led by Chicago-based attorneys Todd Pugh and Victor Henderson.
Geragos’ client list includes pop star Michael Jackson, actor Winona Ryder, and singers Chris Brown and Sean “Diddy” Combs.
What a maroon!
I was just thinking this a few days ago, if he paid by check, then I thought, nobody is THAT STUPID!
I was wrong.....................
He’s a tard, Jim.
Didn’t even use bitcoin...
Smollett in prison . . . he ought to really enjoy that!
Look him up. . .this guy is getting way too much air time and print time. Just think how the law enforcement was taken away from the important duties of protecting the people. Media perpetuating the story need to be arrested and fined big time.
I guess they would not take his credit card.
No longer #JuicyLikesItRough. Now it’s #JuicyLikesItOnPaper.
I’ve got sharper knives in my bowling ball storage.
Yep - there’s stupid and then there’s Smollett stupid....I just noticed that my spell checker already has his name in it....took a long time for “Trump” to be added
I hope defense fees put him in the poor house. He deserves it.
I hope defense fees put him in the poor house. He deserves it.
Gee.
There, fixed it!
Regards,
He’s toast
Translation: This dude's a liar but in the big picture it's still white people's fault. Never forget, it's always white people's fault.
“PAID BY CHECK!..........................HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!.........................”
LOLOLOLOLOLOL....lololololololo....(snort)...LOLOLOLOLololo..........
Its true that it’s crazy but Ex Mayor Jerry Springer paid a Hooker with a bad check in Cinti years ago.
SMDH, didn’t even pay them in cash.
The police need to audit Smollett’s bank account to check for “donations” to him from some of his Dem. pals.
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