Ryan Lochte Lied about Robbery, US Olympic Committee Apologizes
Ryan Lochte lied about their robbery story according to Rio Police based on a report in USA Today.
Ryan Lochte and his fellow swimmers stole media spotlight last Tuesday when they claimed that after coming from a friend's party in Rio they were robbed by men wearing police uniforms with one of them even pointing a gun at Lochte's forehead.
Brazilian Judge, Keyla Blank, was part of the investigation team and after gathering evidence from witnesses and video surveillance footages was convinced that the robbery story was untrue.
Happy and Unshaken
She questioned the time between when the athletes went to the party and when the video which showed them returning to the athlete village. The swimmers apparently did not appear to be shaken by the ordeal of the robbery. In fact, they looked happy and relaxed.
Judge Keyla Blank swiftly sent a restraining order preventing the US the swimmers from leaving Rio. She gave orders to seize their passports and be subjected to questioning by police investigators.
Lochte had gone back to the U.S, but his two teammates had not. They were restrained from boarding their flight to the US by the police and questioned for the veracity of their tale.
Swimmers Vandalize
Judge Keyla Blank's guess was proven right. Rio's chief of civil police, Fernando Veloso, reported a totally different account of the supposed robbery. He said the four swimmers stopped by a gas station before going home. Police discovered that the gas station's bathroom door got broken, the soap dispenser was damaged and a mirror was cracked all evidences that suggest vandalism took place.
"It seems that they lied. No robbery was committed against these athletes. They were not victims of the crimes they claimed." said Chief Veloso according to USA Today.
U.S. Olympic Committee Apologizes
Although the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) first sided with the accused swimmers, they eventually supported the evidence presented by the police which included a security footage revealing the swimmers arguing with a staff at the gas station.
The U.S. Olympic Committee has issued a full apology to the Brazilian people for the embarrassment Lochte and the swimmers have caused.
"We apologize to our hosts in Rio and the people of Brazil for this distracting ordeal in the midst of what should rightly be a celebration of excellence," said USOC chief Scott Blackmun according to a Reuters report.
