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Continuing the ongoing document and media dumps in the Jussie Smollett case, the Chicago Police have released the audio from the 911 calls made on the night of the alleged hate hoax concocted by the former Empire actor.
In the call, Smollett manager Frank Gatson declined to identify Smolett.
“I just need the police to come by. I work for an artist. I don’t really want to say his name,” Gaston said to 911. “He states he went to Subway … and two guys —somebody jumped him or something like that. I just want to report it and make sure he’s alright.”
Gatson made two calls, the first coming at 2:22 AM, which would make it 20 minutes after Smollett claimed to have been attacked. He later called back to 911 at 2:38 AM to check on the police arrival time. The manager claimed when asked why Smollett didn’t call himself that, “He was cool, he didn’t want me to call you guys.”
He was then informed that only Smollett could file a police report on the incident.
“He’s definitely gonna make the report. I’m gonna make him make the report,” Gatson said in response, adding that Smollett didn’t need medical attention.
“I just think he’s startled. I’m scared and I don’t know what it is — They put a noose around his neck. They didn’t do anything with it, but put it around his neck. That’s pretty f–ked up to me — sorry for saying it like that.”
As the world now knows, the actor was arrested for filing a false police report and hit with 16 counts, but had the charges dropped by prosecutors. Chicago is suing Smollett to pay back the estimated $130,000 in overtime costs associated with investigating the case.
Despite speculation about a possible return by Jussie Smollett for the sixth and final season of Empire, series co-creator Lee Daniels said via Twitter yesterday that he will not be back.
Smollett, who has played the Empire character Jamal since the music drama debuted in 2015, was written out of the final episodes of Season 5 following his alleged hate crime attack in Chicago on Jan. 29.
In yet another twist Friday, the Cook County prosecutor’s office released 2,000 pages of documents related to the case, shortly after Chicago police made their own case files public.
Legal documents from the prosecutor’s office showed State’s Attorney Kim Foxx had not wanted to recuse herself from the case, and did so reluctantly after rumors — which were untrue — arose claiming she was related to Smollett.
Despite publicly stating in February that she was stepping away from the case, Foxx remained immersed in it.
The documents show she texted a deputy after her alleged recusal to say charges against the “washed up celeb who lied to cops” were too harsh. Foxx wrote: “Sooo …… I’m recused, but when people accuse us of overcharging cases … 16 counts on a class 4 becomes exhibit A.”
Her colleague responded by saying: “Yes. I can see where that can be seen as excessive.”
The release of the documents followed a Freedom of Information Act request by Chicago media outlets in April, seeking additional information on why the charges against Smollett were dropped.
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