Jussie Smollett, 36, is charged with filing a false police report, a Class 4 felony
New investigative details have revealed the clues that made Chicago cops suspicious of Jussie Smollett's story from the very start.
After three weeks of investigation, police publicly announced on Wednesday that they believed Smollett had hoaxed the attack that he claimed was perpetrated by white men shouting racist and anti-gay slurs.
But details released from the Cook County State's Attorney office show that even the first officers to respond to Smollett's report of an attack on January 29 had reason to be suspicious.
'Chicago Police Officers observed that Smollett had a rope draped around his neck,' Risa Lanier, a Cook County State's Attorney, wrote in the bond proffer.
'This was captured on police body worn camera. Seconds later, Smollett asked police to shut off the cameras,' she continued.
Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson (above) expressed outrage at Smollett for allegedly lying to investigators. Police were suspicious of his story from the very start
Police responded to Smollett's Streeterville apartment about 45 minutes after the purported attack.
Though Smollett explained that he had left the rope around his neck to 'preserve evidence,' the responding officers were privately baffled that he was still wearing the noose somewhat like a necktie, according to sources briefed on the investigation.
Per Chicago Police Department policy, the officers informed Smollett that their body-worn cameras were active, and he requested that they be shut off - another nagging hint that something was off, sources say.
Cops also found it odd when Smollett led them outside his apartment to show them where the alleged attack took place, and immediately pointed out a security camera that he believed had captured the incident.
Smollett also referred to this security camera during his now infamous interview with ABC's Robin Roberts.
'I looked up and I saw there was a camera directly on the light-post that is in the intersection, so I'm like 'There it is,'' Smollett said. 'And then the detective told me that the camera inside of the casing was facing north. So they didn't have it, and that was disappointing.'
In this interview with ABC News, Smollett described the camera he though had captured the attack. Police say he pointed out the camera to them immediately
Police now say that
