The Brazilian authorities are now thinking that Ryan Lochte and three of his Olympic swimming teammates lied about the situation that took place on Sunday. Some video footage that has been released showed one of the swimmers getting into an altercation with a security guard at a gas station bathroom. Authorities believe that they were trying to cover up this altercation, which is why they didn’t report being robbed at gunpoint.
A Brazilian source spoke to ABC news on Thursday.
“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.”
ABC reporter Matt Gutman then tweeted the following:
“#BREAKING Brazil sources: #RyanLochte + 3 swimmers fabricated robbery story. Video shows swimmer “fighting” w/security at gas station @GMA.”
The original statement about the robbery had come after the four had calmly returned to Olympic village, and they didn’t report it to the police. Ryan Lochte’s story went as follows:
“We got pulled over, in the taxi, and these guys came out with a badge, a police badge, no lights, no nothing, just a police badge and 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 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 cell phone, he left my credentials.”