Chicago police say they are “making gains” in the 3-day investigation into the alleged attack on Empire star Jussie Smollet.
The actor claims he was attacked by two masked men who beat him and tied a “noose” around his neck in a homophobic hate crime early Tuesday in downtown Chicago.
According to ABC7 reporter Rob Elgas, Chicago police superintendent Eddie Johnson said police are “making gains” in the Smollett investigation and “hopefully a resolution soon”.
Johnson also confirmed that Smollett is not the focus of a criminal investigation.
“Our job is to investigate and bring the individuals in” who allegedly attacked Smollett. Johnson said. “Today we have no reason to think he (Smollett) isn’t being genuine”.
Investigators previously said Smollett, 36, and his manager, Brandon Z. Moore, were being uncooperative and refused to hand over their phones to confirm their stories that they spoke by phone during the attack.
Moore said he “clearly heard” the attackers shout “This is MAGA country.”
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Police reviewed hundreds of hours of video footage but did not find any evidence of an attack.
According to investigators, Smollett was spotted on video footage as he approached his manager’s apartment building after leaving Subway restaurant. He walked out of the frame on one camera and then reappears on a different camera, wearing a thin rope around his neck like a necktie.
According to Elgas, a Chicago police source tells Fox News affiliate Fox32 that Smollett was seen on surveillance video entering the building still holding his Subway sandwich after the alleged attack.
The actor will perform in concert at The Troubadour in West Los Angeles on Saturday.
Photo by Derrick Salters/WENN.com
