From the Los Angeles Times today:

Chicago police arrest two men in Jussie Smollett case and say attack was not a hoax

By NARDINE SAAD

FEB 15, 2019 | 9:00 AM Chicago police say they have arrested two brothers in connection with the possible hate crime involving “Empire” star Jussie Smollett. “Interrogations will resume today with the two individuals and their attorney,” department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement to The Times on Friday. The men — who are only being identified as two Nigerian brothers — were initially being questioned as persons of interest in the attack and are now considered potential suspects, Guglielmi said. …. Guglielmi again denied reports alleging that the attack was a hoax and reiterated that Smollett is being treated as a victim. “While we haven’t found any video documenting the alleged attack, there is no evidence to say that this is a hoax,” Guglielmi said. “The alleged victim is being cooperative at this time and continues to be treated as a victim, not a suspect.”

Okay, I imagine what’s going on is that the cops are telling the two Nigerian bodybuilder pals of Smollett that Smollett swore out a criminal complaint, so if stay dummied up, then he’s telling the truth, so they are criminals. But … if they want to testify against Smollett that it was a hoax and they were just helping him out, well then Smollett is the criminal.

But when the media report this stuff with a straight face, it helps postpone the Day of Reckoning for the phenomenon of the Hate Hoax.

To be thorough: I’m trying to think through the possibilities that the Nigerians initiated a crime without Smollett’s awareness.

Kidnapping? Nah, Smollett would recognize his acquaintances

Mugging? Blacks celebrities wear a lot of jewelry so they often get targeted by hold-ups. But the bros were acquainted with Smollett, so it seems risky.

Fake hate crime as friendly help for his career? This doesn’t sound too likely …

They were mad at Jussie over something he did involving them …

But still, it was the night of the heavily advertised Polar Vortex. A lot of these things could wait. A preplanned Hate Hoax, however, is better on a night when nobody else is out on the street.



[Comment at Unz.com]