The Chicago Police Department spoke out to Reason reporter Robby Soave to give an update on the initial report by Jussie Smollett who claims to have been attacked in Chicago. This story just keeps getting stranger with added details by Smollett that just happen to claim it was Trump supporters who attacked him.
Soave reports:
The CPD says that “in the initial reports there was no mention of MAGA,” but “when detectives followed up with him later in the day, he recalled the offender[s] making those comments and detectives completed a supplemental report.” It would appear that earlier statements by the police were erroneous. We have changed the headline of this article to reflect new information, and await a statement from Smollett himself.
Here are screenshots of the police statements. First:
The Second report includes a “supplemental report” by Smollett about the MAGA comment:
‘Empire’ actor Jussie Smollett has the Chicago police and the FBI trying to figure out what happened to him at 2 a.m. in Chicago. The actor reports that he was attacked on Lower Water Street when he was leaving a Subway at 2 a.m. He claims that two attackers poured an “unknown chemical substance” on him and then put a noose around his neck (see more below).
Nothing about this apparent attack sounds right, but the left has jumped on this story before anything is confirmed. What we do know is that the Chicago police came back around to confirm a new claim Smollett made to TMZ that the two attackers said “This is MAGA country”. He hadn’t reported that detail in his initial report.
TMZ and Daily Mail both ran with the story before we know what really happened.
“MAGA Backers”…Does anyone know if this is true? No, the police and FBI are still investigating the attack. They have scoured video from the area and all they see is Smollett eating in a Subway and then just walking around.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE reports:
Chicago police detectives on Tuesday collected footage from city and private cameras in the Streeterville neighborhood trying to gain leads on a report of a “possible racially-charged assault and battery” involving a star of the television show “Empire.”
Police said they had not made arrests in the reported attack on Jussie Smollett, who plays Jamal Lyon on Fox’s “Empire.” Police say two people approached Smollett at about 2 a.m. Tuesday as he was walking in the 300 block of East North Lower Water Street and got his attention by yelling racial and homophobic slurs.
Smollett was hit and an unknown chemical substance was poured on him, according to police. A rope was wrapped around Smollett’s neck before the attackers fled the scene, police said
THE CHICAGO POLICE DENIED THE TMZ REPORT BUT THEN SMOLLETT ADDED THIS CLAIM LATER:
Chicago Police are now denying TMZ reports that the attackers of Jussie Smollett said "This is MAGA country." It’s another good lesson along with previous cases of Fake News not to run with narratives right away. Insane to think of how many were exposed to the false narrative. pic.twitter.com/RssbSLo02s
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) January 29, 2019
Daily Mail jumped right in befre the case could be investigated with a statement from the NAACP President and CEO:
Derrick Johnson, NAACP President, and CEO added: ‘The recent racist and homophobic attack on acclaimed actor and activist Jussie Smollett is troubling.
‘The rise in hate crimes is directly linked to President Donald J. Trump’s racist and xenophobic rhetoric. It is dangerous for any society to allow a tone of divisiveness and hatred to dominate the political discourse.
Al Sharpton had to put in his two-cents worth:
Al Sharpton Says Trump Must Denounce Jussie Smollett's MAGA Attackers https://t.co/TRKwY3GEO7
— TMZ (@TMZ) January 29, 2019