Ryan Lochte investigation raises tough questions for Rio Olympics police as cops’ account of bizarre incident faces harsh scrutiny
Evidence suggests Lochte and the swimmers may not have damaged the bathroom as Rio cops claimed
DOUBTS have been raised over the police version of events that saw disgraced US swimmer Ryan Lochte falsely claiming he and his friends were robbed at gunpoint.
Brazilian legal experts and witness, as well as video footage, appear to show what occurred may constitute a robbery and raise questions over police's accusations of "vandalism".
Lochte initially said he and fellow Team USA swimmers James Feigen, Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz were robbed in the early hours of August 14 after returning from a party.
But their story quickly became as scandal as CCTV showed the group had actually been forced to pay for vandalism they caused at a gas station bathroom.
Police had claimed they damaged the station's bathroom, while Lochte is believed to have pulled an advertising sign down from the wall.
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While it is clear Lochte pulled down the sign, an investigation by has revealed there is no evidence of vandalism to the bathroom itself.
Joao Batista Damasceno, a Rio judge, told the publication: "If they only asked for the amount of damage, it may not be a robbery.
"But if the amount taken is higher than the value of the damages, with the use of a weapon by the 'security', this is robbery."
He added Brazilian law would rarely allow someone to decide their own amount of compensation by pulling a weapon to demand it be force.
Furthermore, several members of the group were forced to pay damages for making a false police report.
But as Deborah Srour, a lawyer who has practised in Brazil for 25 years, noted: "This crime only happens when you go to the police and you make a report, you file a report. This did not happen."
After returning to America, a tearful Lochte gave an interview to to explain his actions.
He said: "It's how you want to make it look. Whether you want to call it a robbery, whether you call it extortion, or us paying just for the damages.
"All we know is that there was a gun pointed in our direction and we were demanded to give money.
"We just wanted to get out of there. There was a gun pointed in our direction, we were all frightened and we wanted to get out of there as quick as possible.
"And the only way we knew was that this guy was saying 'you have to give them money' so we gave them money and we got out.
"That's why I'm taking full responsibility for it. I over-exaggerated that story and if I'd have never have done that, we wouldn't be in this mess.
"Those guys would never be in Rio. None of this would have happened. And it was my immature behaviour."
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