“Good Morning America,” invited Eddie Johnson, the Superintendent of the Chicago Police, on the show to discuss some details about Jussie Smollett's hate crime case and to share updates. Johnson admitted that, apart from the videos and testimonies they have gathered so far, several more pieces of evidence have not been presented yet. They will also shut down investigating Smollett’s version of the story and continue to investigate the "staged" school of thought.

The superintended made sure to say that filing a false report, which is what the actor is believed to have done, was “dangerous,” as the progress Chicago and the police department has made in race relations lately might be affected.

Johnson also pointed out that real victims of hate crimes should not be treated with skepticism and set clear that it was not the Chicago Police Department saying that Smollett staged the attack, but the evidence they have found so far. The Chicago Police Department also called out Donald Trump.

Smollett's version of the attack

The “Empire” star has maintained the same version of his story ever since the attack happened on January 29. He stated that he was on his way home from a Subway when two masked men insulted him for his race (he is black) and sexual orientation. According to his initial description, at least one of them was white and was wearing a red Make America Great Again hat. The one President Donald Trump usually wore during his presidential campaign.

Will the MAGA slogan be successful?

After the alleged beating, Smollett stated that the attackers put a rope around his neck and poured bleach on his face. As they were leaving, one of them supposedly yelled: “this is MAGA country.”

What the police have revealed so far

Even though the Chicago police initially believed in Smollett’s story and treated him as a hate-crime victim, they identified some inconsistencies during the investigation.

Days after the actor filed the report, Abel and Ola Osundairo were arrested. The men confessed that Smollett hired them to attack him and even disclosed the payment: $3,500 in check form. The actor admitted that he had indeed paid them $3,500, but said that it was related to personal training and nutrition services.

The threat letter Smollett allegedly got

It is not the first hate crime issue in which the actor has been involved. Days before the supposedly staged attack, the Smollett reportedly sent himself a hate letter to the “Empire” set in which he claimed he would be killed. The FBI is investigating that incident, and if they find that Smollett committed mail fraud, he could be behind bars for up to a decade.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED