Chicago police released video of Jussie Smollett, the rope around his neck, and of supplies being purchase for the allegedly staged attack on the “Empire” actor.
That’s among the hundreds of files made available Monday, weeks after 911 calls from Jan. 29, the night of the incident, were also made public by the city of Chicago.
The files include surveillance footage collected by police and footage of the brothers who say they were paid to orchestrate the January attack. As ABC7 and CBS Chicago report, nearly 70 hours of video were released, including footage of Smollett in his downtown apartment wearing a white sweater and a rope that looks like a noose.
The footage from a body camera worn by a police officer who responded to Smollett’s report of an attack has blurred out the actor’s face because, police explained, he was considered a victim at that point. Smollett takes off the rope in the clip.
Smollett told police two masked men jumped him, verbally assaulted him, poured a chemical on him and tied a rope around his neck during a late-night attack he alleged was racist and homophobic.
Body camera video of CPD officers entering Jussie Smollett’s apartment the night attack was reported.
He still has rope around his neck. @cbschicagopic.twitter.com/Fnp0jmo8Ra
Though Smollett elicited widespread sympathy when news of the incident was first made public, he was later accused of fabricating the story. Police said that Smollett falsified the report in an effort to gain fame, and the men seen in the new video, who were the supposed attackers, came forward to say they they’re acquaintances of Smollett and were paid to stage the attack.
According to Chicago police spokesman Officer Anthony Spicuzza, the video files come from a combination of police body-worn, security, city, traffic and crime cameras.
The new video and files are just the latest releases in the confounding case that saw Smollett removed from his show and charged with 16 felony counts, before the charges were abruptly dropped and then the handling of that case was put under investigation.
Contributing: Associated Press, Doug Stanglin
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