The Chicago Police Department said Monday that it does not have enough evidence to launch a criminal investigation into the alleged assault of Empire actor Jussie Smollett after he turned over “limited and redacted phone records” to detectives.
“We are very appreciative of the victim’s cooperation however the records provided do not meet the burden for a criminal investigation as they were limited and heavily redacted,” Chicago Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement. “Detectives may be following up with him to request additional data to corroborate the investigative timeline.”
Smollett alleges two masked men attacked him along a street in the Streeterville neighborhood as he was walking home from a restaurant on January 29. The 36-year-old alleges they punched him, hurled racist and homophobic insults at him, poured an unknown chemical substance on him, and wrapped a rope around his neck. Guglielmi said the actor told police that the alleged attackers shouted he was in “MAGA country,” an apparent reference to President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.
Statement on #ChicagoPolice hate crime investigation. We are taking these allegations very seriously and encourage anyone with information to report anonymously to https://t.co/yYAqzcVIfu pic.twitter.com/DxipALHXaz
— Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) January 29, 2019