Crime

Jussie Smollett officially a suspect and faces felony charge

ROLLINGOUT.COM — The Chicago Police have officially named Smollett as a suspect for filing a false report.

Published

6 years ago

February 21, 2019

By A.R. Shaw

Jussie Smollett could face jail time. The Chicago Police have officially named Smollett as a suspect for filing a false report.

According to tweet by Chicago police communications officer, Anthony Guglielmi, Smollett faces a Class 4 felony and detectives are currently presenting evidence before a Cook County grand jury.

Smollett initially told police that he was attacked in Chicago by two White men who wore Make America Great Again hats and yelled racial and homophobic slurs on Jan. 29. During the attack, Smollett said the men poured a chemical substance on him and tied a rope around his neck. When he arrived at the hospital, the rope was still around his neck.

Police questioned two brothers, Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, on Feb. 15. Police learned that the brothers purchased the rope from an Ace Hardware store in the Chicago area. CBS reports that the brothers were paid $3,500 before leaving for Nigeria and were promised an additional $500 upon their return. After the attack, they returned to Nigeria.

Following the interrogation, the brothers, who both appeared as extras on “Empire,” were released from police custody.

Video has emerged of the brothers buying MAGA hats and ski masks from a store.

Although the evidence against Smollett continues to mount, Fox and the creators of “Empire” continue to stand by the actor.

This article originally appeared in Rollingout.com.

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Activism

Outgoing D.A. Pamela Price Releases Report on County Gun Violence Epidemic

The 84-page report is divided into two parts: the Public Health Impact of Violence and the Contribution of Structural Inequalities; and the Public Safety Impact of Gun Violence and the Regulation of Firearms. Each section documents trends in rising gun violence in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with special attention to the rise in gun-related deaths of women and children in Alameda County. Each section advises innovative approaches for the County to address gun violence and build safe communities.

Published

3 days ago

December 8, 2024

Oakland Post

Exclusive interview with County D.A. Price days before recall election. Photo by Ken Epstein.

Pamela Price was recalled in the election on Nov. 5. File photo.

By Post Staff

Criminal Justice Reformer District Attorney Pamela Price, who is leaving office this week after losing a recall election, released a comprehensive report on the gun violence epidemic and public health emergency in Alameda County: “Tackling Gun Violence Epidemic in Alameda County: A Public Health Emergency (2019-2023).”

This report represents an unprecedented collaboration between public safety and public health partners and provides data and recommendations to guide the County’s continued work to reduce violence while advancing justice reform.

Each section documents trends in rising gun violence in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with special attention to the rise in gun-related deaths of women and children in Alameda County. Each section advises innovative approaches for the County to address gun violence and build safe communities.

“Between 2019 to 2023, an average of three residents were killed by firearms each week in Alameda County, and behind every statistic is a shattered family and community,” said Price.

“Under my administration, the DA’s office has taken bold steps to combat gun violence while promoting equity and healing for survivors,” she said.

The report highlights strategies for keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people. Last month, the DA’s office secured a $5.5 million grant from the California Judicial Council to help improve compliance and case management for gun cases and gun relinquishment orders —the removal of guns from people prohibited from possessing a firearm – with law enforcement and court partners.

This effort builds on Price’s work in 2023 and 2024 in attacking the gun violence epidemic.

“We launched an innovative Gun Violence Restraining Order Outreach Project to educate communities about the availability of tools to remove guns and ammunition from people who are a danger to themselves and others and the intersectionality of domestic violence and gun violence and convened gun violence roundtable conversations with our law enforcement partners and collaborated with the Alameda County Public Health Department to produce this comprehensive report,” she said.

“We supported Oakland’s CEASEFIRE program through its transition and implemented a pilot Mentor Gun Diversion Program with our collaborative court partners, offering non-violent youth in possession of a gun pathways to interrupt the potential for escalating harm.” added Price.