The latest development.
Ryan Lochte and three of his U.S. swim teammates made headlines on Sunday after they claimed that they were held up at gunpoint and robbed in a Rio de Janeiro taxi.
Lochte, who is now a 12-time Olympic medalist after winning gold in the 4×200 freestyle relay, even recounted the story via his Twitter feed.
https://twitter.com/RyanLochte/status/764944107101978625
Lochte told police that he and his teammates were robbed in a taxi at gun point by a bunch of men who were impersonating police officers, but this story is being questioned by the authorities.
Reports have recently emerged from Brazil which claim that, at the time of the incident, the four men were “breaking down” a bathroom door and “fighting” security at a gas station.
#BREAKING Brazilian authorities tell @ABC video shows "US swimmer" "breaking down" gas station restroom door "fighting" w/ security guard
— Matt Gutman (@mattgutmanABC) August 18, 2016
#BREAKING Brazil sources: #RyanLochte + 3 swimmers fabricated robbery story. Video shows swimmer "fighting" w/security at gas station @GMA
— Matt Gutman (@mattgutmanABC) August 18, 2016
Speaking with NBC’s Today show, Lochte recounted his robbery story as follows;
“We got pulled over in our taxi and these guys came out with a badge, a police badge,” Lochte told the Today show’s Billy Bush in a taped interview Sunday. “No lights, no nothing, just a police badge. They pulled us over, they pulled out their guns. They told the other swimmers to get down on the ground. They got down on the ground. 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 said ‘get down.’ I put my hands up. I was like ‘whatever.’ He took our money, he took my wallet.”
The Brazilian police have since issued this statement;
The Special Tourism-Support Police Station informs that, on this date, August 17th, in the investigation of the theft suffered by swimmers from the American Olympic team, a warrant ordering the search and seizure of the passports of James Ernest Feign and Ryan Steven Lochte was issued by the Court for the Support of Fans and Major Events. This morning, the Civil Police appeared at the Athletes’ Village to fulfill the order, however the aforementioned athletes were not located. The Civil Police duly reported the measure to the Federal Police.
Investigations are currently underway. The Civil Police requested that the taxi driver who transported the athletes from the party at the Brazilian Equestrian Society to the Athletes’ Village enter in contact with the DEAT or with the Citizen Services Center (CCS) at the following telephone numbers: (21) 2334-8823, (21) 2334-8835.
