Swimmers covered up act of vandalism

[NAC4EV]

Brazil police:
American swimmers were not robbed

http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/18/sport/us-swimmers-olympics-robbery-questions/

The US Olympic Committee has issued an apology for the ordeal involving four American swimmers who reported being robbed over the weekend in Rio de Janeiro.
"The behavior of these athletes is not acceptable, nor does it represent the values of Team USA or the conduct of the vast majority of its member," said USOC CEO Scott Blackmun.

Brazilian police have accused the athletes of vandalism. Star Olympian Ryan Lochte has stuck by his story that he and three other American swimmers were mugged at gunpoint in Rio de Janeiro last weekend. As far as Brazilian police are concerned, Lochte is lying.

 

[Mxylplyx]

I do hope we don't go to bat for these guys and try to shield them from the consequences. Isn't worth pissing off the entire population of Brazil for these idiots.

 

[master_shake_]

and why wouldn't you trust the most corrupt police force on earth?

 

[CFP]

This is all still unraveling and I'm sure more details willl be unearthed later.

With that said, how do you come to the decision to make up a robbery-at-gunpoint? That's what the consensus seems to be so far, that they fabricated the story. But why? It doesn't make any sense. What exactly were they hoping to achieve?

I mean, how does the story of being mugged at gunpoint cover up the vandalism at a gas station? Especially when it's on camera?

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

this is such and odd story. will be interesting to see how it unfolds. really dodgy police dept, shady actions by the people who are saying they were victims of a crime.

 

[woolfe9998]

The Brazilian authorities may indeed be dodgy, but there is a videotape so I doubt they're making this up.

 

[Subyman]

Story is crazy. They were accused of vandalizing the bathroom, no proof so far yet. But they were held at gun point by a security guard and then extorted out of money and then let go. Wtf? What police force asks for money on the spot while being held on the streets? I'm surprised it's being reported in the media as anti-swimmers right now.

 

[Svnla]

ABC News Nightline ran a story about this tonight.

Brazil said the swimmers did vandalize the bathroom at a gas station and there was video of one employee picked up broken parts. Brazil said one of the armed security guy at the gas station tried to stop the swimmers for compensation of the damages and there was video of one of the swimmers offered money from his wallet. There was no one put a gun on anyone head as one of the swimmers claimed or anyone pulled the taxi over. Therefore, there was no robbery by cop but request for payment of the damages done by the swimmers from Brazil point of view.

The US Olympic Committee did issue a statement to condemn the behavior of the swimmers but in broad terms and nothing specific about the robbery incident.

Stay tuned for more information. Just like the old saying "there are two sides of each story".

 

[jman19]

Just ugly all around.

 

[Exterous]

Brazil said the swimmers did vandalize the bathroom at a gas station and there was video of one employee picked up broken parts. Brazil said one of the armed security guy at the gas station tried to stop the swimmers for compensation of the damages and there was video of one of the swimmers offered money from his wallet. There was no one put a gun on anyone head as one of the swimmers claimed or anyone pulled the taxi over. Therefore, there was no robbery by cop but request for payment of the damages done by the swimmers from Brazil point of view.

A request for payment while someone with authority was brandishing a gun:

Using video footage, accounts from witnesses and testimony from the swimmers, investigators said a security guard had brandished a gun after one or more of the athletes vandalized the gas station bathroom.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/19/s...-lochte-lied-about-gunpoint-assault.html?_r=0

But the story keeps changing so *shrug*

 

[Svnla]

A request for payment while someone with authority was brandishing a gun:



http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/19/s...-lochte-lied-about-gunpoint-assault.html?_r=0

But the story keeps changing so *shrug*

From your own link:

"In his original account, Mr. Lochte said the car had been pulled over by armed men, one of whom put a gun against his head before taking the cash from his wallet. But police investigators said Thursday that Mr. Lochte and the others had acted more like small-minded vandals than the victims they claimed to be."

Lochte originally said a few days ago that cops pulled the taxi over and one pulled a gun to his head and demanded money. He did not say anything about vandalism from his group. From the video at the gas station, the taxi already parked and the armed security guy pulled a gun to the driver so he won't be able to drive away.

In summary (for now): = http://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/18/sport/us-swimmers-olympics-robbery-questions/

Lochte version: we were just out to have fun and celebrate, the cops pulled us over and used gun to extort money from us...ie highway robbery by cops.

Brazil version: Lochte and his friends destroyed property at the gas station and the security guard pulled gun to make the taxi stays and the guys pay for the damages. No cops were involved.

The USOC did issue a statement to condemn the swimmers but did not go into specific.

We will see if Lochte will say anything about this later. As I said previously, always two sides for each story.

 

[Genx87]

They were shitfaced drunk. A security guard with a gun could look like a cop. Iin the US private security at malls and gas stations dont carry a gun.

I don't think there are any good guys in this story. The drunk asshole swimmers who vandalized a bathroom. What may be a security guard pointing a gun at the drunk assholes demanding money for vandalism.That is essentially a robbery.

 

[norseamd]

I do hope we don't go to bat for these guys and try to shield them from the consequences. Isn't worth pissing off the entire population of Brazil for these idiots.

Part of me wants to poke a bit though, considering just how ignorant pitchfork and torch Brazilians tend to be.

 

[Zorba]

Part of me wants to poke a bit though, considering just how ignorant pitchfork and torch Brazilians tend to be.

Yeah, sounds like the swimmers were assholes, but in the US what the guard did would be considered robbery by most. I assume the swimmers modified the story to make themselves look better.

I can't believe that Brazil is actually holding them in the country though. Trying to spotlight your country to encourage tourism, but now this story will lead off every news cast, which I think will turn off most potential tourists.

 

[Vic]

Pretty common in Latin America for law enforcement to demand payment of a fine, or compensation for damages, on the spot. I disagree with the practice, but Brazil isn't the US.

 

[feralkid]

Wtf? What police force asks for money on the spot while being held on the streets?

No offense, but I take it you're not what most folks would call a "world traveller", right?

 

[Zorba]

Pretty common in Latin America for law enforcement to demand payment of a fine, or compensation for damages, on the spot. I disagree with the practice, but Brazil isn't the US.

Yeah, this does show the problem with being an idiot in another country.

 

[Oyeve]

Pretty common in Latin America for law enforcement to demand payment of a fine, or compensation for damages, on the spot. I disagree with the practice, but Brazil isn't the US.

I have seen this in Germany as well. Asshole tourist sneak on train or steal at local gas station they demand payment on the spot. I see nothing wrong with this practice if the offenders ARE guilty.

 

[Puffnstuff]

Typical American goes abroad and behaves badly expecting to not get into trouble and then gets caught on security cameras story. I'll go with the cameras report on the incident and they should be ashamed of their actions. This is what happens when you aren't raised to respect others and have no ethical or moral fiber in you.

 

[PokerGuy]

The practice of demanding payment on the spot is certainly not uncommon, but it seems to me as an invitation for corruption. I mean, a cop is far more likely to extort some foreigner if he gets cash himself than he is to try and get the foreigner to just pay a fine to the government.

This story seems really strange, but it's obvious the swimmers behaved like asses no matter how you look at it. They may or many not have been extorted at gunpoint afterwards. Pulling them off the plan and holding them there seems like a really dumb move IMO, I'm far less likely to travel to a country as a tourist when they do that kind of stuff.

 

[Genx87]

I have seen this in Germany as well. Asshole tourist sneak on train or steal at local gas station they demand payment on the spot. I see nothing wrong with this practice if the offenders ARE guilty.

Which is nearly impossible to know on the spot in situations like what happened in Brazil. A train ticket is quite different. Demanding payment on the spot is priming the system for corruption. Not a good way to run a judicial system imo.

 

[Oyeve]

Which is nearly impossible to know on the spot in situations like what happened in Brazil. A train ticket is quite different. Demanding payment on the spot is priming the system for corruption. Not a good way to run a judicial system imo.

Actually, its not the amount for a train ticket, its, last time I was there, 250 bucks from whatever country you are from.

 

[PottedMeat]

lochte sounds like a real shithead. the three vandalize a bathroom, get caught, and make up a story for the media. lochte leaves the country as soon as possible while the brazillians dig into the story just enough to sieze the other two's passports. i wonder if he'll chip into his share (it's really all theirs) of the $11K fine.

 

[Genx87]

Actually, its not the amount for a train ticket, its, last time I was there, 250 bucks from whatever country you are from.

Well whatever. The point is a train ticket is something easily verifiable. Acts of vandalism not so much. Demanding payment on the spot is nothing more than corruption.

 

[Mai72]

Nice way to ruin your reputation.