Gunnar Bentz leave a police station after being questioned Thursday in Rio de Janeiro.
Mario Tama / Getty Images
US Olympic swimmer Gunnar Bentz, speaking out for the first time since his teammate Ryan Lochte falsely claimed he and three other Americans were robbed at gunpoint in Rio de Janeiro, apologized to his team and offered a new account of what occurred during the Sunday morning incident that has made headlines around the world.
Bentz, 20, laid out his version of events — which has resulted in a police investigation and $11,000 payment after Lochte first claimed he was held up at gunpoint — in a statement Friday.
In his statement, Bentz offered an apology to the United States Olympic Committee and his team for drawing attention away from the Games, saying he "was never a suspect in the case from the beginning (Brazilian law enforcement officials saw me only as a witness)."
He then provided a play-by-play of what happened Sunday morning around 6 a.m., beginning with Bentz, Lochte, Jimmy Feigen, and Jack Conger heading back to the Olympic village after an event.
According to Bentz, the four swimmers were in a taxi when they pulled over at a convenience store to use the restroom.
"There was no restroom inside, so we foolishly relieved ourselves on the backside of the building behind some bushes," Bentz said.
While behind the building, Bentz saw Lochte ripped a "framed metal advertisement" off a brick wall and throw it to the ground. Bentz was "unsure why" Lochte pulled the ad down.
The four men then returned to their taxi and were confronted by two armed security guards. According to Bentz, the guards initially had their guns holstered but drew them while shouting at the Olympians to sit on the sidewalk. An argument between Lochte and the guards then ensued.
"Again, I cannot speak to his actions," Bentz said, "but Ryan stood up and began to yell at the guards. After Jack and I both tugged at him in an attempt to get him to sit back down, Ryan and the security guards had a heated verbal exchange, but no physical contact was made."
Later, a man Bentz believed to be a customer at the store approached and offered to serve as a translator between the swimmers and the guards.
"Through the interpreter, one of the guards said that we needed to pay them in order to leave," Bentz recalls. "I gave them what I had in my wallet, which was a $20 bill, and Jimmy gave them 100 Reals, which is about $50 in total."
According to Bentz, the guards then lowered their guns and gestured for the men to leave. Bentz, Lochte, Feigen, and Conger then walked a block, picked up another taxi, and returned to the Olympic village.
Bentz's account of the incident varies somewhat from the official narrative provided by police, which stated the restroom at the store was vandalized. Bentz said that he never saw that happen.
"To my knowledge, there was no damage done to the door or the inside of the restroom," he said.
Reporters gather at the men's bathroom at the gas station where four U.S. Olympic swimmers were captured on security video.
Mario Tama / Getty Images
Bentz also depicts Lochte as primarily responsible for escalating tension — something police have not done.
"I am confident that some video angles have not been shown that would further substantiate my account," Bentz added. "I also believe some scenes have been skipped over."
The incident grew into a scandal as a police investigation cast doubt on the swimmers' stories. Eventually, after investigators reviewed surveillance footage and spoke with witnesses, police said a robbery had not occurred at all.
Bentz and Conger were pulled off an airplane during the investigation but were later allowed to leave the country. Feigen had his passport seized but left Friday after agreeing to donate about $11,000 to charity.
Lochte, along with Feigen, was indicted by Brazilian prosecutors, but left the country earlier this week before authorities ordered his passport confiscated.
The four swimmers now face an international disciplinary commission.
LINK: US Swimmer Leaves Brazil After Paying $11,000 Over Robbery Scandal
LINK: Four US Swimmers To Face Disciplinary Committee Over False Robbery Story
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