RIO DE JANEIRO — The Civil Police in Rio de Janeiro obtained new surveillance footage that appears to contradict some statements the four American swimmers who said they were victims of a robbery made to police, investigators told BuzzFeed News.
Police told BuzzFeed News they are investigating surveillance time-logs from inside France House — where the athletes were partying — that do not appear to coincide with the timeline the athletes gave to police.
The Brazilian Equestrian Society, a site rented by the French delegation, has security cameras at the entrance and throughout the facility, as well as x-ray machines.
A surveillance camera at France House
Alexandre Aragão / BuzzFeed
Swimmers Ryan Lochte, Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen said they were held up early Sunday after leaving the party. They were heading back to the Athletes' Village.
On Tuesday, the Daily Mail published a video showing the athletes arriving at the village around 7 a.m. In their depositions, police said the swimmers indicated they left France House around 4 a.m. The generally doesn't take that long, investigators said.
Daily Mail / Via dailymail.co.uk
Based on the video recordings, the police requested that legal authorities bar Lochte and Feigen from leaving Brazil. Lochte, however, had already left the country.
After the initial robbery report, investigators said they were given authorization to enter the Olympic Village in order to collect the swimmers' phones. Investigators wanted to analyze GPS records, which will be used to determine where the swimmers were in the early morning hours on Sunday.
ABC News, citing authorities in Brazil, reported Thursday that video shows a swimmer "breaking down" a restorom door at a gas station and "fighting" with a guard.
The police also said there were apparent contradictions in the description of the assailants. The athletes said the taxi they were in was stopped by assailants dressed as police officers. But, claiming they were intoxicated at the time of the robbery, police said, the swimmers supplied few details.
Alexandre Aragão / BuzzFeed
On Wednesday, the Civil Police released a statement asking that the taxi driver who was transporting the swimmers to come forward. So far, no one has responded.
Read the full police statement below:
The Special Tourism-Support Police Station informs that, on this date, August 17th, in the investigation of the theft suffered by swimmers from the American Olympic team, a warrant ordering the search and seizure of the passports of James Ernest Feign and Rayan Steven Lochte was issued by the Court for the Support of Fans and Major Events. This morning, the Civil Police appeared at the Athletes' Village to fulfill the order, however the aforementioned athletes were not located. The Civil Police duly reported the measure to the Federal Police.
Investigations are currently underway. The Civil Police requested that the taxi driver who transported the athletes from the party at the Brazilian Equestrian Society to the Athletes' Village enter in contact with the DEAT or with the Citizen Services Center (CCS) at the following telephone numbers: (21) 2334-8823, (21) 2334-8835.
LINK: Ryan Lochte And Teammates Say They Were Robbed At Gunpoint In Rio
LINK: Lawyer: Ryan Lochte Returned To The US Before Brazilian Court Order
LINK: Two American Swimmers Removed From Flight By Brazilian Authorities
from BuzzFeed - USNews http://ift.tt/2bp8saZ
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