The Chicago Police have arrested the two men questioned in the attack on actor Jussie Smollett says The Los Angeles Times.
“Interrogations will resume today with the two individuals and their attorney,” department spokesman Anthony Guglielimi said in a statement to The Times.
“It’s unclear what the men could be charged with, however,” their attorney Gloria Schmidt, toldPage Six.
The arrests come on the heels of a 48 hour media rollercoaster ride which culminated in numerous conflicting reports regarding the attack on Smollett.
Rumors and bad reporting reached peak rumor mill last night when multiple outlets began claiming that the Chicago Police were ready to say the Smollett attack was a hoax pulled by Smollett and two friends because he was being written off of the hit FOX show Empire (which films in Chicago).
This led both FOX and the Chicago PD to issue very firm statements denying both rumors.
Tweeted Chicago PD spokesman Anthony Guglielmi: “Media reports anout (sic) the Empire incident being a hoax are unconfirmed by case detectives. Supt Eddie Johnson has contacted @ABC7Chicago to state on the record that we have no evidence to support their reporting and their supposed CPD sources are uninformed and inaccurate.”
Fox’s statement read: “The idea that Jussie Smollett has been, or would be, written off of ‘Empire’ is patently ridiculous. He remains a core player on this very successful series and we continue to stand behind him.”
CBS Chicago reported that there was a police raid at the home of the two persons of interest being questioned by Chicago Police.
According to the station the men were returning from a trip to Nigeria when they were detained—their lawyer Schmidt announced the pending arrests while maintaining their innocence .
