Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Unless they robbed Brazilians or committed some other crime, it is not right for them to be detained. All the police had to do was take their statement and let them leave. What the heck is the charge? This is not normal or right if you ask me.
They most likely committed several crimes - filing a false police report, provided false statements, etc.
They should not only be held and charged with crimes, but also be forced to pay the costs of the investigation into their BS "robbery" claims.
What is their just reward? Six months in a Brazilian prison? Give me a break! And yet we made sure that girl in Italy came home on her murder rap. What's wrong with people? This has somehow turned into a political issue when it shouldn't be.
The USA didn't strong-arm Italy into releasing that girl, she had to go through the excruciatingly slow appeals process in the Italian court system.
What is their just reward? Six months in a Brazilian prison? Give me a break! And yet we made sure that girl in Italy came home on her murder rap. What's wrong with people? This has somehow turned into a political issue when it shouldn't be.
Ok, calm down. I've been very vocal here in my support of the guys and haven't anywhere in any of my posts made mention of penalties or what I think is fair. Take a deep breath!
If there's video of them mooking it up and wrecking a restroom then I don't know why the overly-eager Rio police haven't paraded it on every imaginable media source by now. If they did it, then they've earned whatever penalty exists there for assault of a freaking bathroom. Fair is fair, here or in Brazil.
If an armed security guard pulled a gun on them and demanded their cash then technically, a robbery *did* take place, possibly in addition to a bathroom thrashin'. Like I said a few posts back: both parties might have some fault.
^A Brazilian police official is telling The Associated Press that American swimmer Ryan Lochte fabricated a story about being robbed at gunpoint in Rio de Janeiro. The official, who has direct knowledge of the investigation, spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about an ongoing probe. He said that around 6 a.m. on Sunday, Lochte, along with fellow swimmers Jack Conger, Gunnar Bentz and Jimmy Feigen, stopped at a gas station in Barra da Tijuca, a suburb of Rio where many Olympic venues are located. One of the swimmers tried to open the door of an outside bathroom. It was locked. The official says a few of the swimmers then pushed on the door and broke it. A security guard appeared and confronted them. The official says the guard was armed with a pistol, but he never took it out or pointed it at the swimmers. According to the official, the gas station manager then arrived. Using a customer to translate, the manager asked the swimmers to pay for the broken door. The official says after a discussion, they did pay him an unknown amount of money and left. Police plan an afternoon news briefing on the incident. A message seeking comment was left with Lochte's attorney.
Several media outlets Thursday reported the existence of a surveillance video from a Rio de Janeiro gas station Sunday morning, showing Lochte and his teammates damaging property. The Daily Mail, a British news outlet, reported — citing Brazilian police — that Lochte and the other swimmers refused to pay for the damage until a security guard waved a gun at them and demanded payment. Brazilian news outlet O Globo reported, also citing police sources, that Lochte and his teammates urinated on the gas station’s building and vandalized the property.
Very embarrassing for the US if true and I think that is the point Brazil is making, this won't amount to much. So many great and warm stories and but then there is this incident along with Hope Solo calling the Swedish Soccer team cowards after they lost.
Then there was this great story regarding the two women colliding in the 5000 Meter.
This just came out on my local UT news board. It presents a more well-balanced but unflattering view of the incident. Looks like Lochte is probably the guilty party.
This just came out on my local UT news board. It presents a more well-balanced but unflattering view of the incident. Looks like Lochte is probably the guilty party.
Up until late Wednesday, only Lochte and Feigen had talked to the police about the incident that was alleged to have happened four days before. . .
Conger and Bentz, who will be a junior at Georgia, were questioned late Wednesday. It was the first time they’d spoken to police.
So the two being held never made any false claims to the police. Not sure what grounds Brazil has to confiscate their passports and hold them. I guess it depends on whether they were involved in breaking the bathroom door. But even then, it sounds like they paid for the cost and the owner didn't file a complaint.
I don't think it's right for them to hold the two athletes that weren't involved in the false story.
It's sounding more like our drunken swimmers got caught up in a typical south of the border shake down. They supposedly broke something at the gas station, which was probably true, they were stinking drunk. Owner demands money and is backed up by security with a gun. Unlike the states, where both parties would go through official police and court systems, embarrassed swimmers pay the "bribe" (highway robbery). Guilty or not, it's best to pay and get out of the situation, it's a different culture. Their mistake was talking about it, resulting in macho Brazilians officials wanting to save face. Hopefully, our rowdy party till you drop swimmers can issue profuse apologies and the Brazilians, in the spirit of the Olympic games, will drop it. The lesson in all this - don't get chit faced in foreign countries.
So the two being held never made any false claims to the police. Not sure what grounds Brazil has to confiscate their passports and hold them. I guess it depends on whether they were involved in breaking the bathroom door.
It's kinda sounding like this was Lochte's gig. I think it possibly went down like this:
Lochte trashed a bathroom.
Embellished the story to his mother.
Mother freaked out and blabbed to media.
Media took off with story.
IOC got involved.
Police got involved.
Lochte got out while he could.
Teammates left to clean things up.
It's sounding more like our drunken swimmers got caught up in a typical south of the border shake down. They supposedly broke something at the gas station, which was probably true, they were stinking drunk. Owner demands money and is backed up by gun waving security. Unlike the states, where both parties would go through official police and court systems, embarrassed swimmers pay the "bribe" (highway robbery). Guilty or not, it's best to pay and get out of the situation, it's a different culture. Their mistake was talking about it, resulting in macho Brazilians wanting to save face. Hopefully, our rowdy party till you drop swimmers can issue profuse apologies and the Brazilians, in the spirit of the Olympic games, will drop it. The lesson in all this - don't get chit faced in foreign countries.
I like your breakdown better than mine. lol.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
