Chicago Police Unable to Find Footage of Alleged Racist Attack on Empire Actor

Chicago police announced Tuesday evening that they have examined hundreds of hours of surveillance footage in an attempt to corroborate actor Jussie Smollett’s claim that he was attacked by a group of Trump-supporting bigots this week, but have been unable to surface any footage of the crime.

After reviewing private surveillance footage captured by businesses in the area, police remain unable to substantiate Smollett’s claim that he was beaten and subjected to racist and homophobic taunts outside of a Subway restaurant early Tuesday morning. They now plan to expand the search by reviewing footage captured on traffic and public-bus cameras.

Smollett, who stars in the hit show Empire, told police that the two assailants put a noose around his neck and poured an “unknown substance” on him before yelling, “This is MAGA country” as they fled. When police arrived at his apartment after the attack, Smollett still had a a “thin, light rope” around his neck and police recommended he go to a local hospital to be treated for facial lacerations.

The actor, who is black and gay, initially excluded the Trump-related detail when he spoke to police, but after TMZ included the detail in a report on the incident, the police contacted Smollett and he confirmed it.

A number of high-profile Democrats have cited the incident as an instance of political violence and suggested it reflects a rise in racial hatred across the country.

https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi/status/1090439686504570885

Smollett, 36, has repeatedly disparaged Trump and his supporters as racists and advocated on behalf of liberal political causes on his personal social-media accounts.