Police did say at least one part of the swimmers’ story was true – there was a gun pointed at them, but it was by a security guard.
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According to the Associated Press- and what appears to happen in the gas station footage above – a security guard approached the men about the alleged vandalization, and a manager asked the swimmers to pay for the damage.
The official says a few of the swimmers then pushed on the door and broke it. When the gas station manager arrived, he spoke with the four swimmers through a translator.
People reported that Ryan Lochte described the incident like this to NBC News.
The Ryan Lochte scandal-which has now been dubbed #LochteGate on Twitter-has taken yet another insane turn. Such a trip during early morning hours would take 30 to 40 minutes.
After detecting inconsistency in the Americans’ stories, police issued a warrant for the swimmers to conduct further questioning but Lochte had already left the country. The same sources said earlier reports that Lochte’s teammates Conger and Bentz told police the story was Lochte’s lie are also false. At a press conference on Thursday, police said that the US swimmer made the story up in order to cover up he and his fellow swimmers’ embarrassing antics at a local gas station.
Video reportedly obtained by authorities in Brazil purportedly shows the swimmers fighting with the security guard in a drunk clash at the gas station.
“I do not regret having apologised…and no apologies from him and other athletes are needed”, Andrada said at Thursday morning’s daily media briefing.
U.S Olympic swimmers Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger leave the police headquarters at International departures of Rio de Janiero’s Galeo International airport on August 18, 2016 in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.
Despite the visible ire of the police, Rio Games organizers defended the swimmers, insisting, “Let’s give these kids a break”. Sometimes you take actions that you later regret.
On Wednesday a Rio judge ordered that police confiscate the passports of Lochte and Feigen.
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The authorities claimed the reports were fabricated, and now police in Brazil have indicted Ryan Lochte, and fellow USA swimmer James Feigen on charges of falsely reporting of a crime. They had fun, they made a mistake, life goes on.
