Jussie Smollett Turns Over 'Limited And Heavily Redacted' Phone Records In Probe Of Alleged Attack
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago police are analyzing several new pieces of evidence in the alleged attack on "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett; including cell phone records, and a half-empty bottle that smells like bleach.
Police have said the 36-year-old actor was walking home from a Subway restaurant in Streeterville around 2 a.m. on Jan. 29, when two men attacked him near his apartment.
Smollett told police his attackers yelled racist and homophobic slurs, put a noose around his neck, and doused him with a chemical sources said appears to have been bleach. Police said Smollett -- an openly gay African American actor and singer -- told investigators he was on the phone with his manager during the attack, but Smollett and his manager both have refused to turn over their phones.
Tuesday morning, police confirmed Smollett now has turned over "limited and heavily redacted" phone records to detectives. Police might reach out to Smollett for more information.
"We are very appreciative of the victim's cooperation. However, the records provided do not meet the burden for a criminal investigation, as they were limited and heavily redacted. Detectives may be following up with the victim to request additional data to corroborate the investigative timeline," Chicago police stated in an email.
Chicago Police Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said Smollett turned over a PDF file containing a redacted record of phone calls, but he said the redactions were "extreme."
The records include the hour before the alleged attack.
"Superintendent Johnson has been clear from day one that Jussie is a victim," said Smollettt's spokesman, Peter Larsen. "Any redacted information was intended to protect the privacy of personal contacts or high-profile individuals not relevant to the attack."
Meantime, police also are investigating a half-empty hot sauce bottle with a clear liquid in it, which recently was found near the scene of the alleged attack. Sources said the bottle smelled like bleach, which might corroborate Smollett's claim his attackers poured a liquid chemical on him.
The bottle was not found during early evidence searches, but discovered later by a newspaper reporter.
It is unclear if it's related to the attack. Police turned it over to an FBI technical assistance team.
Thus far, police have said they have no reason to doubt Smollett's allegations, and are not investigating him.
Police have said there is no video of the attack, but they do have video from the building where Smollett lives, which shows him entering his apartment with what appears to be a noose around his neck.
Two days after the alleged attack, police said video from other cameras in the area showed "potential persons of interest" wanted for questioning. So far, police have been unable to identify them.
Detectives also are trying to determine the origin of the rope used in the alleged attack. Investigators are trying to determine where it came from, or where it might have been purchased.
