Skip to main content

Ryan Lochte Disputes Police: I Never Vandalized Bathroom, That’s ‘Absurd’

 

Screen Shot 2016-08-30 at 7.59.20 AM

U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte believes the media coverage surrounding the “robbery” incident in Brazil has been totally overblown.  Yes, he apologized for the “lie,” but said an investigation by USA Today revealed more details that play to his favor. Particularly that he never vandalized a gas station bathroom, as authorities contend.

Last week, Brazilian prosecutors charged Lochte with filing a false police report. He is accused of lying to police about being robbed at gunpoint at a gas station in Rio de Janeiro earlier this month.  He spoke Tuesday morning to Good Morning America’s Amy Robach.

When asked if he would return to Brazil to face charges, Lochte dodged the question.

“I have a great team, they are dealing with it all the legal issues, we are just trying to get this over with … its been dragged out way too long,” he said.

WATCH HERE:

Attorneys for Lochte have said they are cooperating with Brazilian authorities. However, in the ABC interview, Lochte did want to make one thing clear — the reports about him vandalizing a bathroom stall are not true. Brazilian police said during a press conference that the swimmers, while intoxicated, vandalized the restroom.

‘The story about me vandalizing the bathroom is absurd, it never happened,” he said to Robach.

That statement is in line with a recent USA Today investigation which found:

An extensive review of surveillance footage by a USA TODAY Sports videographer who also visited the gas station supports swimmer Gunnar Bentz’s claim that he did not see anyone vandalize the restroom, an allegation that in particular heightened media portrayals of the four as obnoxious Americans behaving recklessly in a foreign country.

Lochte does admit to pulling down a poster at the gas station, and said they paid the owners back for that.

“The part that I told that wasn’t true was having the gun pointed to my head and cocked. That was over exaggerated,” he said.

Lochte also said he has reached out fellow swimmer Jimmy Feigen and offered to pay the $10,000 fine if “he will let me.” In order to return to the U.S., Feigen agreed to pay Brazilian authorities the money.

[Screengrab via ABC News]

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

Filed Under:

Follow Law&Crime:

Rachel Stockman is President of Law&Crime which includes Law&Crime Productions, Law&Crime Network and LawAndCrime.com. Under her watch, the company has grown from just a handful of people to a robust production company and network producing dozens of true crime shows a year in partnership with major networks. She also currently serves as Executive Producer of Court Cam, a hit show on A&E, and I Survived a Crime, a new crime show premiering on A&E this fall. She also oversees production of a new daily syndicated show Law&Crime Daily, which is produced in conjunction with Litton Entertainment. In addition to these shows, her network and production company produce programs for Facebook Watch, Cineflix and others. She has spent years covering courts and legal issues, and was named Atlanta Press Club's 'Rising Star' in 2014. Rachel graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and Yale Law School.