Attorneys for actor Jussie Smollett—who allegedly filed a false report of being the victim of a hate crime in January—oppose a lawsuit against him for recovery of $130,000 spent by the City of Chicago during the extensive investigation into the incident.
El Paso Mayor Dee Morgan praised the officers for "remarkable police work" that saved lives and for capturing the suspect without firing a shot. In a press conference Saturday evening Texas Gov. Greg Abbott expressed "incredible gratitude" for law enforcement "minimizing the loss of life by confronting the shooter."
“There was no master on the bridge to guide the ship as it floundered through uncharted waters, and it ultimately lost its bearings,” Toomin wrote in the 21-page opinion. “... The unprecedented irregularities identified in this case warrants the appointment of independent counsel to restore the public’s confidence in the integrity of our criminal justice system.”
Jussie Smollett was to admit guilt for staging a hate crime. Instead he walked free.
Off-duty Border Patrol agent Jonathan Morales and Oscar Stewart, an Iraq War Army veteran, helped stop a suspected gunman who had opened fire at the Chabad of Poway synagogue on Saturday in what authorities praised as an "act of courage."
According to WGN-TV, 22-year-old Jaquan Washington has been charged with three felony counts of attempted first-degree murder. Already, 24-year-old Menelik Jackson and 32-year-old Jovan Battle had been charged with first-degree murder and other charges in the case.
Mayor Emanuel said, "Our officers did hard work day in and day out, countless hours working to unwind what actually happened that night. The city saw its reputation dragged through the mud ... It's not just the officers' work, but the work of the grand jury that made a decision based on only a sliver of the evidence [presented]," he continued. "Because of the judge's decision, none of that evidence will ever be made public."
“After reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr. Smollett’s volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond to the City of Chicago, we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case,” the Cook County state’s attorney’s office said in a statement.
The Jussie Smollett case put the Chicago PD in an untenable situation, and it may not be over.
Two brothers—identified as Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo—told police in Chicago that "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett paid them to stage an attack orchestrated to look like a hate crime.