Chicago's top cop says new videos show Jussie Smollett staged attack

CHICAGO (Fox 32 News) - Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson says the Jussie Smollett case is even more clear-cut after the release of dozens of hours of videos from the investigation.

It will now be up to a special prosecutor to decide if the “Empire” star should face new criminal charges.

“I think that the evidence that we've produced illustrates that it didn't happen the way that he claimed it did,” Johnson said.

Chicago's top cop on Tuesday claimed the newly released videos and documents from the Smollett investigation back up his belief that the actor staged his own beating for publicity purposes. The videos include Smollett showing police the rope he claimed was used by his attackers.

There is also video of the Osundairo brothers riding in a taxi on the night they say they attacked Smollett at his request.

Police released almost 70 hours of videos.

“That particular incident happened in a part of the city where we have a lot of video surveillance, and not only have it but private entities that are willing to share it with us,” Johnson said.

The superintendent and Mayor Lori Lightfoot were asked about complaints that records and videos like the ones released are not released often enough to interested parties. For example, the relatives of a victim in an unsolved murder case.

“To the extent that we can, when we have video evidence, we don't have a problem sharing it with people,” Johnson said.

“Even if they don't have an update, on those cases, as the superintendent said, calling once a month so that the surviving family members feel like they’re being heard,” Lightfoot said.

There has been no comment from Smollett or his attorneys about the newly released information.