CHICAGO—Actor Jussie Smollett staged an attack to make himself appear the victim of an antigay, racist assault because he was unhappy with his salary on the television drama “Empire,” alleged Chicago police, who detailed an elaborate but ultimately clumsy plot.

“Jussie Smollett took advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career,” Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said at a news conference Thursday. “When we discovered the actual motive, quite frankly it pissed everybody off....Those are resources and time spent that we will never get back.”

The actor turned himself in to police at 5 a.m. Thursday, a day after being charged with disorderly conduct for filing a false police report, a felony that carries a penalty of 1 to 3 years in prison and up to a $25,000 fine. He was released after posting $10,000 on his $100,000 bond, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office said.

Jack Prior, an attorney for Mr. Smollett, said in court that his client denies the allegations. Mr. Smollett’s legal team didn’t respond to questions after the hearing.

Investigators question whether Mr. Smollett meant the alleged stunt to go this far. The actor was initially hesitant to report the attack, but Mr. Smollett’s creative manager pressed him, police said, citing their interview with his manager.