Chicago Police Claim They Have 'More Evidence' That Jussie Smollett Staged Hate Crime

Eddie Johnson, the Superintendent of the Chicago Police, set clear on “Good Morning America” that there was more evidence contradicting Jussie Smollett’s hate crime version.

In a conversation Johnson had with host Robin Roberts, he made sure to say that Smollett was still innocent until his day in court and that police treated him as a victim the entire time.

However, things changed when they learned that Smollett might have staged the hate crime. According to the actor’s version, the incident took place on January 29 when he was walking home from a Subway sandwich restaurant.

THE INCIDENT ACCORDING TO SMOLLETT

On his way, two men wearing masks allegedly assaulted and shouted racial and homophobic slurs at him. One of the men was wearing a MAGA hat and even yelled “this is MAGA country,” referring to President Donald Trump’s campaign slogan Make America Great Again.

The incident caused a stir on social media as several fans of the actor showed their support. When police arrested brothers Abel and Ola Osundairo, who confessed that Smollett paid them $3,500 to attack him, things changed.

Investigating the men's claims, police found videos and several other proofs supporting the Osundairo’s claims and contradicting Smollett’s. The actor accepted he paid $3,500 to the brothers but claimed it was for personal training and nutrition services.

MORE EVIDENCE AGAINST THE ACTOR

Speaking about the evidence, Johnson pointed out that a lot of videos, as well as physical and testimonial proofs contradicted Smollett’s version, and that they have not been presented yet. The superintendent also pointed out that it was not the Chicago police saying that the actor staged the attack; they were just following the facts and witnesses’ claims.

He added that Chicago police has had issues with racism and excessive force, but that they “didn’t earn this particular incident and I refuse to let us take that shot if we have evidence of the contrary.”

Johnson set clear that filing a false report was “dangerous,” especially after the progress the city of Chicago has made regarding race in the last three years. He hopes Smollett’s case doesn’t make people judge or treat with skepticism real hate crime victims.

Apart from the attack, police also accused Smollett of sending himself a hate letter to the “Empire” set. For that particular incident, they are getting the FBI’s help. If convicted of mail fraud, the actor could face up to 10 years in prison.

TERRENCE HOWARD’S SUPPORT

While several people have criticized Smollett for the alleged staged hate crime, other people have shown their support on social media, including fellow “Empire” actor Terrence Howard.

Howard plays Smollett’s father in the TV show, and he extended that role to the real world when he shared a clip of his on-screen son playing with his real-life son in a plane. For the caption, he wrote, “all your lil homies got you... We love the hell outta you” [sic].