‘UNCOOPERATIVE’

Detective Testifies Jussie Smollett Refused to Turn in Cell Phone, DNA Swab

Smollett is on trial for allegedly lying to Chicago police and orchestrating a hoax hate crime.

Chicago Police Detective Michael Theis testified in the trial of actor Jussie Smollett on Tuesday, saying Smollett was “uncooperative” during their initial investigation into what appeared to be a hate crime. Smollett is accused of lying to Chicago police and orchestrating a hoax hate crime in January 2019 by paying two men to stage an attack. Theis, a lead investigator in the case, said Smollett refused to hand over his cell phone or provide a cheek swab for DNA testing. But Smollett’s lawyer insists Chicago police made a “rush to judgment.” Theis rebutted that, saying 24 to 26 officers spent over 3,000 hours working on the case and reviewing 1,500 hours of surveillance footage.