The plot thickens. Us Weekly has obtained security camera footage of Ryan Lochte and his Olympic swimming teammates Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen at the gas station in Rio where they allegedly vandalized a bathroom before getting into an altercation with security.
As previously reported by Us Weekly, Brazilian officials claim that the 12-time gold medalist and his teammates lied about being robbed at gunpoint to cover up a fight they were allegedly involved in on Sunday, August 14.
In the video, the four swimmers can be seen exiting a narrow passageway before looking for a taxi to get into. Lochte and his teammates appear calm as gas station attendants mill around them. At one point in the video, the four men get into a taxi and a man in a black uniform approaches the vehicle. The four swimmers then get out of the taxi to converse with the man, and one of the swimmers appears to take out his wallet and hand money to the man.
On Thursday, August 18, a Brazilian police source told ABC News that 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.”
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 AP reports that the swimmers did indeed pay.
Although initial reports claimed that the security guard was armed with a pistol but never pointed it at the swimmers, the Associated Press is now reporting that Brazilian police confirm that two security guards did indeed point guns at the swimmers during the confrontation.
As previously reported, Lochte initially claimed that he and his teammates were robbed at gunpoint and that a pistol was held to his forehead. On Thursday, however, officials claimed that Lochte’s teammates Conger and Bentz admitted the robbery story was fabricated.
Lochte has since maintained that the robbery was not made up. During a phone call with Matt Lauer Wednesday, August 17, Lochte stated: “We wouldn’t make this story up. We’re victims in this, and we’re happy that we’re safe.”
During his phone conversation with Lauer, which aired on the Today show, Lochte did alter one detail: He initially claimed that a gun was pointed at his forehead, but he later stated that the gun was simply pointed in his direction.
A Brazilian judge has since ordered the four athletes’ passports to be seized. Lochte currently remains in the United States. On Wednesday, Bentz, Conger and Feigen were detained in Rio while attempting to board a U.S.-bound plane. According to a statement released by the U.S. Olympic Committee, Bentz, Cogner and Feigen have been cooperating with authorities.
Updates to come.
