Steve Bentz, father of Gunnar Bentz, when reached by phone late Wednesday night, said: “I really don’t want to say anything”, and hung up.
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According to ESPN, Lochte first described the robbery to his mother, who then spoke with reporters about the incident.
There was no evidence of violence against the athletes, police noted.
“Right now as we speak: there was no robberies the way it was claimed by the athletes”.
The official spoke anonymously saying Lochte, Bentz, Conger and Feigen stopped at a gas station in a suburb of Rio.
However, Feigan stood by his earlier story, telling the San Antonio Express-News Thursday that the group was, in fact, burglarized.
Lochte is already back in the United States and has been telling US television networks his version of the story.
The USOC has said the remaining swimmers are cooperating with the authorities. It was not immediately clear if the organization planned to act. Brazilian news outlet GloboNews also reported the indictment. Veloso said that Lochte was “very angry because he was intoxicated”. During the press conference, Veloso said that Feigen has yet to be interviewed by police and that Bentz and Conger were now being questioned in Rio.
Police in Rio have been skeptical of the swimmers’ claims, which quickly drew headlines around the world over the weekend. U.S. Olympic Committee spokesman Patrick Sandusky said the three swimmers in Brazil were expected to discuss the incident further on Thursday.
Security video confirmed the athletes vandalised parts of the petrol station, leading to an encounter with employees.
The official said workers at the gas station went to see what the commotion was about.
CCTV video has emerged of the quartet of swimmers trying to kick down a bathroom door and fighting with security. “They pulled out their guns, they told the other swimmers to get down on the ground”.
Lochte told NBC on Monday his cab was pulled over “and these guys came out with a badge; a police badge” and robbed them at gunpoint. Veloso said the guards did not use excessive force and would have been justified in drawing their weapons because the athletes “were conducting themselves in a violent way”.
“The surveillance tapes show that there was no violence against the athletes at the gas station”, Civil Police chief Fernando Veloso said at a press conference on Thursday, according to CNN.
As a resolution, the athletes paid 100 Brazilian reals and a $20 United States dollars to pay for damages.
US Olympic swimmers James Feigen, Ryan Lochte, Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger. It is also unknown whether or not Bentz and Conger will also be indicted. The police who removed the swimmers from the plane had a court order to detain and question them. A security guard appeared and confronted them, the official said. At one point, one of the swimmers pulls a sign off of a wall in the alley and drops it on the ground. Lochte also said that the gun was not actually held to his head.
Police said they interviewed a taxi driver, a customer who translated for the men, and two girls who had been partying with the swimmers.
Many have called out the Olympians’ white privilege. “They had fun, they made a mistake, life goes on”.
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Ryan Lochte at the 2016 Rio Olympics. He won a gold in Rio in a relay race alongside Phelps.
