http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/rio-2016/2016/08/21/investigation-ryan-lochte-rio-olympics-authorities/89082232/
Story seems to confirm what I thought, the Rio Police made a big stink about this to cover-up some shady actions that happened.
That's not at all what all sources indicate. Everyone pretty much agrees, even the US, that the US swimmers, particularly Lochte, when on a drunken rampage and vandalized the place, and lied to cover it up. The police and security at the gas station acted very reasonably considering the situation. If it had happened here in the US with Brazilian athletes, they would have been treated far more harshly.
I get that these things happen with young guys, but as other people said, Lochte is in his 30's, its absurd for him to be doing things like this.
"a drunken rampage". Lochte apparently pulled down a loosely hung advertisement and broke it. A couple of the swimmers went pee behind the building. There is no evidence of any kind that the swimmers even entered the restroom let alone damaged anything in it. The translator/witness actually confirms that the only damage referenced by the armed guards was to the sign.
Clearly Lochte was drunk and clearly he broke a sign, but the Rio police absolutely embellished what happened and those same police basically extorted 11,000 from Feigen for a crime that he didn't commit (Feigen never filed a police report so he couldn't have filed a false one).
Did the brazilian security guards take all their money? No. They asked for fair compensation for the damage they did to the place, knowing full well those guys were never coming back if they left without paying. Did the american swimmers say "no police"? Yes they did. If they though they were being robbed they would have demanded to have the police there, and you know, filed a report.
Different country different laws. You can't call it extortion. When in another country you have to respect their laws just as visitors to our country have to respect our laws. Their police were actually much more laid back about the whole thing than our law enforcement would have been.
If they were really 'robbed' why didn't they actually, you know, file a police report? They were wasted, busted up the place, p---ed everywhere, and paid and lied to cover it up. The brazilian security and gas station staff were ok with that until Lochte lied to his mom and she went to the media. That's life, now they have to own up to it.
Of course Lochte wants to create doubt as much as he can to save his millions in endorsements. I don't see his lesser known teammates who have no endorsements to lose and who he left behind to take the blame insisting it was a robbery.