In a stunning move on Tuesday that angered Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his police superintendent, prosecutors in Chicago dropped all charges against the “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett, who had been accused of staging a hate crime attack in the city’s downtown in January. In an interview later, Joe Magats, the prosecutor who made the decision, said that there had been no problems with the evidence or the police investigation into Mr. Smollett. He also noted that Mr. Smollett had no previous criminal record and said that the dropping of the charges “didn’t exonerate him.”[A timeline of events of the Smollett case.] “We work to prioritize violent crime and the drivers of violent crime,” Mr. Magats said. “I don’t see Jussie Smollett as a threat to public safety.”

Source: New York Times March 26, 2019 15:30 UTC