Brazil, August 18, 2016 – Authorities in Brazil have yanked off two Americans from a US-bound plane and stopped them from leaving the country after they complained that men with police badge robbed them at gun point in Brazil.
They two Americans who were in Brazil for the Olympic swimming event were stopped from leaving the country to enable them provide more testimony to investigators about a reported robbery that targeted them and some of their teammates.
The affected Americans were Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz forced out of their plane after boarding by authorities as investigators search for answers regarding the alleged robbery involving them as well as Ryan Lochte and Jimmy Feigen.
“We got pulled over, in the taxi, and these guys came out with a badge, a police badge, no lights, no nothing just a police badge and they pulled us over. They pulled out their guns, they told the other swimmers to get down on the ground — they got down on the ground. I refused, I was like we didn’t do anything wrong, so — I’m not getting down on the ground.
“And then the guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said, ‘Get down,’ and I put my hands up, I was like ‘whatever.’ He took our money, he took my wallet — he left my cellphone, he left my credentials,” Lochte told NBC.
Feigen was ordered to stay in Brazil but Lochte has already made it to U.S. before authorities could reach him. Conger, Bentz and Feigen were expected to give statements to police on Thursday.
Lochte has reportedly renounced his early claim but that the taxi wasn’t pulled over by men with a badge, but that they were robbed after stopping at a gas station and that the assailant pointed a gun at him rather than putting it to his head, he told NBC.
U.S. Olympic Committee spokesperson, Patrick Sandusky said Conger and Bentz were detained and “released by local authorities with the understanding that they would continue their discussions about the incident on Thursday. James Feigen is also communicating with local authorities and intends to make further statements regarding the incident on Thursday as well,” he said.
A Brazilian judge earlier ordered the seizure of Lochte and Feigen’s passports. The office of Judge Keyla Blanc said in a statement that there were discrepancies in their statements.
