Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte fabricated a story claiming that Brazilian citizens posed as police before robbing a group of American swimmers, the Associated Press reported.
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The U.S. Olympic swimmers facing questions about their reports of being robbed in Rio de Janeiro were involved in a fight at a gas station in the city and committed acts of vandalism there, Brazilian newspaper “O Globo” reports. The men also said the robbery took place on the way home from a club, which they left at 4 a.m. The security guy saw them and started arguing with them – telling them they had to pay. He pointed his gun at them and insisted they pay for the damage.
Police did not ask Lochte for more information, and they did not ask him to remain in Brazil, Ostrow said.
And public speculation was fueled by the release of a video obtained by the Daily Mail, which it said was filmed shortly after the robbery.
The identity of the swimmer has yet to be revealed.
“According to the dealer, Ryan Lochte, James Feigen, Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger came to urinate on the spot, despite appeals from officials for them to use the bathroom”.
Ostrow told CNN that the discrepancy came because Lochte first told his mother about the incident and then she relayed it to the media.
This report does seem to at least be consistent with large parts of what the swimmers say happened, including details such as being forced out of a taxi and somebody showing a badge and pointing a gun. That footage shows that all of the athletes got out of their cab and went down a hall in the station – and that when they returned, several of them tried to get in the wrong cab. I refused, I was like, ‘We didn’t do anything wrong, so I’m not getting down on the ground’.
“And then the guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said: ‘Get down, ‘ and I put my hands up, I was like ‘Whatever.’ He took our money”. He took my wallet. “He left my cellphone, he left my credentials”.
NBC reported Wednesday night that Lochte backed off some of his earlier claims about the robbery.
On Wednesday, Bentz and Conger were pulled off their plane and their passports were seized.
But in an interview with Olympic broadcaster NBC, Lochte gave a chilling account of how the swimmers were stopped in a taxi returning from a party and confronted by men with a police badge.
Police wanted to question Lochte, but he scooted out of the country before that could happen.
After days of official silence, Judge Keyla Blanc De Cnop issued a surprise order around midday Wednesday to search for and seize Lochte and Feigen’s passports in order to prevent them from leaving Brazil. The 32-year-old swimmer was going to pick up his vehicle and buy a new wallet to replace the one that he said was stolen.
Meanwhile, Conger and Bentz are still in Brazil.
Feigen did not show up for his flight Wednesday night but told USA Today he was cooperating with authorities.
American Olympic swimmers Gunnar Bentz, left, and Jack Conger, center, leave the police station at Rio International airport early Thursday Aug. 18, 2016.
“The story needs to be about 20-something-year-old kids pulled off an airplane, they’re being detained to testify to police?”
Andrada had previously said sorry to the quartet over the incident, but insisted he did not expect any apologies in return. I can not go much further into the case.
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But many here in Rio – and anyone who’s confused by what’s become a convoluted story involving global flights, a possible false crime report and accusations of wanton urination – are unable to move on.
