Chicago police have released a ton of evidence—including 70 hours of video—related to the newly invigorated case against Jussie Smollett, who may once again face charges for allegedly staging a hate crime against himself in January. Among the revelations of that footage is that Smollett apparently had a rope coiled around his neck when police showed up to his apartment, around 40 minutes after he initially reported the attack.
Police body cam footage shows officers arriving to Smollett’s apartment, where they were greeted by his manager. From ABC7:
“He doesn’t want this to be a big deal, you understand what I’m saying,” Smollett’s manager tells officers on the video. “The thing that makes me emotional is they put this makeshift loop, what do you call that thing, a noose around his (expletive) neck. I’m sorry, you know. And that is what bothers me, the cut thing doesn’t bother me at all. If that makes any sense.”
Once inside the apartment, the video shows Smollett standing with the rope around his neck. One of the officers asks if Smollett would like to take it off, to which Smollett replies, “Yeah I do. I just wanted you to see. There’s bleach on me. They poured bleach on me.” At that point, Smollett requests that the police turn their body cams off.
The footage also depicts the Osundairo brothers, who allegedly helped stage the attack. Police said the two took a cab to a pre-determined site:
In video from the car, the brothers are disguised in what look to be hazmat suits, which one tightens around his face. They climb out of the taxi and surveillance video shows them walking down the street to carry out the allegedly staged attack.
Last week, a judge ordered a special prosecutor to look into the case again, saying that it was full of “unprecedented irregularities.” Depending on the outcome of the investigation, Smollett may be charged anew.