Two U.S. Swimmers Pulled Off Plane in Rio Amid Robbery Probe
Source: NBS News 15 minutes ago
wo U.S. Olympic swimmers who say they were with Ryan Lochte when they were robbed in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, were removed from a plane at Rio's airport by authorities Wednesday, Lochte's attorney said. Jeff Ostrow, a lawyer representing Lotche, said swimmers Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger were taken off the plane late Wednesday.
"We can confirm that Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz were removed from their flight to the United States by Brazilian authorities," U.S. Olympic Committee spokesman Patrick Sandusky said. "We are gathering further information." Ostrow said Conger and Bentz had not been specifically named by a Brazilian judge who had wanted Lochte and fellow U.S. swimmer Jimmy Feigen passports seized, but now they are in limbo.
Feigen is still in Brazil, Ostrow said. Sources at the airport told NBC News Feigen checked in for a flight online but never showed up. His passport would have been confiscated, according to the judge's order. Brazilian judge Keyla Blanc De Cnop earlier on Wednesday had ordered Lochte and Feigen to remain in Brazil as authorities investigated their account of being robbed at gunpoint in Rio early Sunday by assailants dressed as police officers.
The judge said Lochte and Feigen gave contradictory accounts of the robbery, according to the court's statement. Lochte told the TODAY Show's Matt Lauer in a telephone interview Wednesday that he returned from Rio Wednesday, and no one told him he should stay in Brazil. Lochte said he told authorities he was reachable and would cooperate.
Read more: http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/2016-rio-summer-olympics/two-u-s-swimmers-pulled-plane-rio-lawyer-n633241
yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)Helen Borg
(3,963 posts)In which case it would be "US" all over again.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)What do you think is going on here?
Helen Borg
(3,963 posts)Or just because they are addicted to attention. In which case, I would also wonder about what else they may be lying about. There are lots of undetectable drugs and methods to cheat...
flygal
(3,231 posts)Helen Borg
(3,963 posts)forest444
(5,902 posts)The first and - knock wood - only time I've ever stared down the barrel of a gun (a semi-automatic), was on a beach outside Rio some years ago.
It was secluded and beautiful; a lot like Big Sur. Except, of course, it's not Big Sur - and don't get me started on the Brazilian police and their "tolls."
Having said that, it is indeed possible Lochte is lying to cover up something illicit on his part. Who knows.
JustAnotherGen
(31,683 posts)And are too embarassed to come right out and say it.
UMTerp01
(1,048 posts).....or maybe all 3. I mean things just seem a bit fishy here with this story but I wouldn't be surprised if the boys had gotten into a "situation" and needed to concoct this story. But why lie about that and why lie about something that could be so easily verifiable? Althought, Lochte isn't exactly high IQ.
LisaL
(44,962 posts)GusBob
(7,286 posts)....?
mackdaddy
(1,520 posts)and a giant black eye for Brazil and the entire Olympics there.
Even if they thought is was a made up story they should have just let it go.
Someone on an earlier thread who has visited Rio in the past said that yes the taxi cab cash shake downs were an actual thing there.
My internet psychic powers tell me yes they probably had their cash only taken, and maybe even by dirty rogue cops. As good as anyone else's guess not actually involved.
Response to mackdaddy (Reply #5)
LisaL This message was self-deleted by its author.
Absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence. Just because police can't find evidence that robbery took place doesn't mean it didn't happen. But even if there were no robbery, what is the point of detaining them in Brazil?
Fast Walker 52
(7,723 posts)"Even if they thought is was a made up story they should have just let it go. "
Yes, because Americans are exceptionals and above Brazilian laws...
PLEASE, be less "exceptional".
Really.
SunSeeker
(51,369 posts)Unfuckingbelievable.
Brazil is literally poisoning the world's athletes with sewage water, and they have the nerve to yank athletes off a plane and in essence hold them prisoner because some judge doesn't believe their robbery report. And why doesn't she believe them? Because the thieves only took money, not their cell phones, and the men did not look sufficiently distraught upon re-entering the Olympic Village. And no one can locate the taxi driver. Duh! He was probably in on it! This really is outrageous.
How is one supposed to look "sufficiently distraught" on security tape? Sounds like they were intoxicated, which could easily account for inconsistencies in the story.
SunSeeker
(51,369 posts)Last edited Thu Aug 18, 2016, 01:36 AM - Edit history (1)
It is safe to assume they had at least a few drinks. As reported:
oldtime dfl_er
(6,930 posts)I think it's time to send the Big Dog (Bill Clinton) to Rio to release these guys.
(Not implying Laura Ling did anything wrong!)
moondust
(19,917 posts)Lochte told him the Brazilian authorities were respectful and did not accuse him of lying. They congratulated him on his successes.
(Lauer talked to Bob Costas during this evening's coverage.)
roamer65
(36,739 posts)outside of Maracana Stadium after the opening ceremony.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/olympics/la-sp-oly-police-lochte-20160817-snap-story.html
There have been other incidents as well.
An Olympic security officer accidentally turning the wrong way into a favela and getting shot to death.
christx30
(6,241 posts)the next olympics that takes place in Brazil will be about the 3rd week after never. Right before Trump says something honest that we can all get behind.
World Cup isn't looking good either.
roamer65
(36,739 posts)The best games in modern history were Sydney 2000 and London 2012.
SunSeeker
(51,369 posts)But of course I'm a little biased.
roamer65
(36,739 posts)They can run them there using existing venues and do a damn good job of it.
SunSeeker
(51,369 posts)Plus so many Angelenos left town fearing gridlock that there was no one on the freeways. Literally. My friends still talk about those days in August of '84 when you could get from the beach to downtown in 15 minutes.
ripcord
(5,084 posts)But there is already talk of turning it into low cost housing after the games.
ucrdem
(15,512 posts)On camera no less, catching him naked per Chicago Trib link below. Alleged offense: ticket scalping. So what if he's innocent? And if he isn't, what kind of due process is that?
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/international/ct-ioc-olympic-executive-ticket-scalping-20160817-story.html
This is insanity. If they're itching to arrest someone, why don't they arrest the pool guy who let the Olympic diving pool turn that nasty green?
Ace Rothstein
(3,109 posts)That is part of the process. It isn't like that gave him a life term without a trial.
MowCowWhoHow III
(2,103 posts)A member of the British Olympic team in Rio has been held up at gunpoint while enjoying a night on the town.
The news has caused deep shock among British athletes and officials many of whom were looking forward to enjoying Rios nightlife after finishing their competitions. It has also led to an unprecedented warning to Team GB members that it is not worth the risk to leave the athletes village because of fears they might be targeted if they are seen wearing a British kit.
Details at this stage are sketchy but news of the incident, which happened in the early hours of Tuesday morning, spread quickly among athletes in Rio. It is understood the person in question was in shock but was not seriously hurt.
On Wednesday night British track and field officials responded to the news by sending an email to athletes warning them that if they left the village they would do so at their own risk.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/aug/17/british-athlete-held-at-gunpoint-robbery-rio-olympics
pediatricmedic
(397 posts)They only have 12 medals so far, which is pretty bad for a host country.
VWolf
(3,944 posts)to Germany to make their disappointment complete. Seriously, that's the sweetest plum for the Brazilians. For all their success at the World Cup, they've never won gold (men or women). The women were eliminated by Sweden in PK's in the semi's at the Maracanã (which was also the site of their infamous 7-1 loss to Germany in the WC, and their loss to Uruguay in the WC final in 1950).
redstatebluegirl
(12,264 posts)Response to big_dog (Original post)
Odin2005 This message was self-deleted by its author.
dkhbrit
(110 posts)It isn't a shithole. As usual the keyboard warriors spouting their mouths off without any idea what actually happened. Youve seen the inconsistencies in the story, they are very much entitled to hold the athletes and find out what happened. You might want to recall that Atlanta 1996 was hardly a rip roaring success on the crime front.
So if you report a crime and your stories aren't perfectly consistent police should detain you?
dkhbrit
(110 posts)And why didn't they immediately report this to police? There are enough inconsistencies to raise doubt so, yes, they should be asked to stay to sort it all out. If they've been truthful they have nothing to worry about.
Curtland1015
(4,404 posts)When has THAT ever been true?
OBenario
(604 posts)It's only hurting the Olympics.
US swimmers created this situation.
LisaL
(44,962 posts)They are not looking sufficiently distressed after the alleged robbery? How distressed is one supposed to look?
rtw
(42 posts)They were removed from their plane and had their passports confiscated. Quite different things. These games have coined a new phrase for snafu: That's so Rio.
anneboleyn
(5,611 posts)treated like criminals, when all they did was report a crime, with some inconsistencies (welcome to eye witness testimony, which tends to be irregular -- I can think of a number of recent cases in which the victims and/or witnesses of a crime reported different details and yet weren't forcibly detained by police -- plus the guys were drunk and disoriented).
Saying that they have nothing to worry about if they aren't guilty sounds very naive as this certainly is NOT the case in the real world in ANY country and especially not in Rio at the moment (remember that was Bush's argument for justifying mass spying in the U.S.?! This line of "logic" has been used to justify many bad actions by police and gov. powers that be). Rio should not have delayed the plane and taken their passports and detained the athletes. That has the exact opposite effect of encouraging international visitors and even their own citizens from reporting crimes.
OBenario
(604 posts)"That has the exact opposite effect of encouraging international visitors and even their own citizens from reporting crimes"
We want tourists to RESPECT our laws. If they don't have this intention, they are not welcomed. Period.
philosslayer
(3,076 posts)a la izquierda
(11,784 posts)Nice.
The whole country? Even the Amazon? All of its residents?
GusBob
(7,286 posts)What happened is crooked cops ripped off these guys and now their crooked bosses are doing the same
So they went as far as hiring body doubles to appear at the security check point to show the athletes returning later than they said they did?
Who knows, this may be a case of corruption, but it doesn't all add up right now and there is certainly a responsibility for those involved to cooperate. The athletes made statements that do not match up to what little evidence the police have. The have every right to investigate further.
LisaL
(44,962 posts)GusBob
(7,286 posts)Jesus fucking Christ we are a world of outraged tight-asses now aint we?
OBenario
(604 posts)Only when they lie to police about it.