New details have emerged in the investigation of U.S. Olympic swimmers Ryan Lochte, Jack Conger, Gunnar Bentz and James Feigen, who claim they were robbed at gunpoint at a gas station in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, last Sunday by assailants posing as police officers.
According to new reports, Brazilian investigators are accusing Lochte of fabricating the story about the robbery to cover up a fight that allegedly broke out in the gas station's bathroom.
On the night of the incident, "one of the swimmers was seen on CCTV footage breaking down the door to the bathroom at the gas station and fighting with a security guard," a Brazilian police said.
He added that around 6 a.m. on Sunday, one of the swimmers attempted to open the door of an outside bathroom unsuccessfully. Then, a few of the athletes pushed on the door and broke it. A security guard confronted the men and was armed with a pistol, but "never took it out or pointed it at the swimmers,"
The gas station manager then asked the group to pay for the damage, which they did, then left, the Brazilian police official stated.
"Unfortunately, the swimmers told one lie after another," an investigator told The New York Times. "We've been able to determine that there was no armed assault."
However, Brazilian officials later told the AP that two security guards did point their guns at Lochte and the three other swimmers during the dispute.
Globo TV released the footage from the CCTV of the incident where the swimmers can be seen at the gas station.
On Wednesday night, Conger and Bentz's passports were seized at the Rio de Janeiro airport after they were pulled off a plane traveling back to the United States. According to the AP, the two told police that the robbery story had been fabricated. (Lochte had already returned to the U.S. before officials enforced the request to seize all four swimmers' passports.)
While speaking with NBC's Matt Lauer over the phone on Wednesday night, Lochte claims he and his fellow swimmers wouldnever make up such a story.
"[Lochte] stopped me quickly and strongly denied that," Lauer reported. "He said, 'That's absolutely not the case. I wouldn't make up a story like this, nor would the others. As a matter of fact, we all feel it makes us look bad. We're victims in this and we're happy that we're safe."
Lochte also amended parts of his original statement. He first claimed that he and his teammates were pulled over by fake police officers while in a taxi. He alleged that a gun was pointed at his forehead as money was stolen from him.
He then told Lauer on Wednesday that he and his teammates weren't pulled over, but that they were robbed when the taxi made a stop at a gas station so they could use the restroom after a night of partying. He also claimed a gun was cocked and pointed "in his direction," not directly at his forehead, as he previously said.
"They had gone to the bathroom in a gas station," Lauer recalled of his conversation with the gold medalist. "They got back to the taxi, and when they told the taxi driver to go, he didn't move. They said, 'let's go' again, 'we've got to get out of here,' and again the taxi driver didn't move. And that's when he says two men approached the car with guns and badges."
We would love to hear your opinion on this post in the comment section BELOW. And, do share this post on your favourite social networking sites.
Post A Comment:
0 comments: