The decision, announced in court in a hastily convened hearing, slammed the door on a case that became a national fascination and flashpoint, with its overtones of racial and political discord in a city with a history of tension over law enforcement.
It drew waves of celebrity commiseration and torrents of finger-shaking tweets as the victim turned into a suspect and then a defendant. And by Tuesday night, many questions remained unanswered, including why prosecutors had suddenly decided to let Smollett off only a month after his arrest, and what actually happened at 2 a.m. on Jan. 29.
Smollett, who is black, gay and outspoken on social issues, had told police that two men jumped him, while taunting him with homophobic and racial slurs and yelling “This is MAGA country,” a reference to President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. The assailants, according to Smollett, tied a rope around his neck and poured a chemical substance on him.
Police spent days poring over surveillance camera footage to locate the two men, and eventually homed in a pair of brothers who knew Smollett. But after hours of questioning, police said, the men said they had been paid by the actor to concoct the attack.
The state’s attorney’s office said in a statement, “After reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case,” including Smollett’s performance of community service and an agreement to forfeit his $10,000 bond payment, “we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution.”
But in a news conference, the mayor and the police superintendent, Eddie Johnson, sharply criticized the state’s attorney’s office and the actor.
Emanuel said that Smollett’s celebrity had played a role in the decision, calling it “a whitewash of justice.”
Johnson said, “I think this city is still owed an apology.”
After the hearing, Smollett thanked his family, friends and “the incredible people of Chicago and all over the country and the world who have prayed for me, who have supported me.”
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.