by Molly Prince
“Empire” actor Jussie Smollett turned himself into police custody after he was charged on allegations related to disorderly conduct for filing a false police report, police said Thursday.
“Press Briefing: Jussie Smollet is under arrest and in custody of detectives,” tweeted Anthony Guglielmi, chief communications officer for the Chicago Police Department. “At 9am at #ChicagoPolice Headquarters, Supt Eddie Johnson, Commander of Area Central Detectives Edward Wodnicki will brief reporters on the investigation prior to the defendants appearance in court.”
– Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) February 21, 2019
Felony criminal charges have been approved by @CookCountySAO against Jussie Smollett for Disorderly Conduct / Filing a False Police Report. Detectives will make contact with his legal team to negotiate a reasonable surrender for his arrest. pic.twitter.com/LvBSYE2kVj
— Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) February 21, 2019
Felony charges were filed against Smollett on Wednesday evening stemming from a hate crime he allegedly coordinated against himself in January. Smollett claimed two men beat him up late at night while walking in Chicago. He further claimed the men tied a noose around his neck and poured a bleach-like substance on him while shouting racist and homophobic slurs.
In a follow-up interview with the Chicago Police Department, Smollett told police that one of the individuals said “this is MAGA country,” referring to President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan.
Smollett’s story began to fall apart over the past weeks. Two Nigerian brothers were arrested Feb. 13 for the alleged attack before being released Friday without charges.
If convicted, the “Empire” actor could face one to three years in prison and include a fine of up to $25,000 for the class 4 felony.
– – –
Molly Prince is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation. Follow Molly on Twitter.
Background Photo “Surveillance Video” by Daily Caller News Foundation.
