Aussie Swimmer Josh Palmer Gives Statement To Rio Police

As reported earlier this week, Australian swimmers Josh Palmer and Emma McKeon went out partying on Tuesday, August 16th in Copacabana, against Australian Olympic Committee protocol.

While out, Palmer was reportedly approached by a man who forced him to withdraw $1000 from a nearby ATM. Although Palmer initially did not report the alleged theft to police, he was called in to give a full statement, as Brazilian authorities are now investigating the incident.

Australia’s Chef de Mission, Kitty Chiller, confirmed Palmer was to be joined by Australian team security chief Greg Nance when giving his statement yesterday, Saturday, August 20th.

“We’ve spoken to Josh this morning and he is getting his notes together and he will be making a statement to police today,” Chiller said Saturday. (ESPN)

“It’s not an investigation into Josh obviously. It’s his relaying his version of events, the statement of events, that happened to him the other day. So as far as we’re concerned, that’s just him making a statement to police.” (ESPN)

Chiller also said she hoped that Palmer would be able to fly home with the team the evening of Monday, August 22nd. She said the Australian Olympic Committee is doing everything they can to support Palmer “logistically, operationally and emotionally.”

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spectatorn
8 years ago

Any news about Josh Palmer and his case? a quick google news search return nothing besides he stayed behind on Saturday to give statement.

Zika Ziki
8 years ago

The article is inaccurate and misleading.

1.emma mckeon didn’t go out together with Josh Palmer. Palmer’s incident is a separate case.
2.going out partying is NOT against AOC protocol (you can ask kitty chiller herself)
3.emma mckeon went out partying in a club with other Australian athletes
4.she got separated from them, so instead of traveling back alone to the Olympics village, she went to stay with swedish athletes to their hotel (not in the village). Emma mckeon’s infraction is not telling the team manager about this.

commonwombat
Reply to  Zika Ziki
8 years ago

That’s about right. Palmer had been drinking with an AUS media guy who left and then came back to the same bar at around 5am. AUS team management didn’t out about his whereabouts until 2pm when they got a call from AUS consular officials

Reinick
8 years ago

Something’s off about his account of events too: Being held at gunpoint and escorted to an ATM at broad daylight after 10:30 a.m. on the most crowed beach of Rio with police and military all over the place – quite unlikely. Taking out AUD 1000 at an Brazilian ATM – nearly impossible: Couldn’t find an ATM that would allow for cash withdrawals above BRL 1000 (~ AUD 400) in 3 months.

Zika Ziki
Reply to  Reinick
8 years ago

Stop with your lies.
By all reports, he claimed to have been robbed late at night.

Uberfan
8 years ago

It’s a trap

Attila the Hunt
Reply to  Uberfan
8 years ago

+1 for Star Wars reference

Lochte the second
8 years ago

This is a bigger load of B.S. than How do you honestly think this guy could come up and force someone to withdraw $1000 and get away with it? Most ATMs can’t even withdraw over $500 at a time. He’s full of crap. His nickname should be Ryan lochte.

Zika Ziki
Reply to  Lochte the second
8 years ago

Whwtehr

marley09
Reply to  Lochte the second
8 years ago

The AOC looked into this and the $1000 part of the story is true after looking at his bank account. nothing to see here folks.

Attila the Hunt
Reply to  Lochte the second
8 years ago

He was questioned by the Brazilian for 6 hours. He’s cleared to return to Australia.
After Lochtegate, I’m sure the Brazilians wouldn’t have let him go if his story doesn’t check out.

Attila the Hunt
Reply to  Attila the Hunt
8 years ago

Brazilian police

Brazilian Lawyer
8 years ago

So are we going to call him a liar too after he also was robbed?

Joel Lin
Reply to  Brazilian Lawyer
8 years ago

Maybe he took $1,000 out from an ATM and entered into a negotiated settlement with someone who was making a query into being given some cash.

HulkSwim
Reply to  Joel Lin
8 years ago

not sure the parralels here. he wasn’t vandalizing and acting foolish at a place of business, he appears to not have been stopped by legal security guards, and he has yet to say anything that seems fishy about the incident.

but keep manning the lochte wall. he will undoubtedly give you a jeah in return for your loyalty

attilly the silly
Reply to  HulkSwim
8 years ago

ur silly. I think Joel Lin was being a little facetious my child. I.e, he was making a joke

HulkSwim
Reply to  attilly the silly
8 years ago

i’m fully aware of what he was doing

30 inch hops
Reply to  HulkSwim
8 years ago

No vandalism in the bathroom. They didn’t even go into it. Check your facts. Lochte knocked down a crappy sign. You have probably never been around athletic dudes Hulkswim. Have you not ever jumped up and whacked anything in your life like your an NBA star? I doubt you have but other athletic dudes know exactly what I am talking about.

25METER_IM
Reply to  Brazilian Lawyer
8 years ago

What if he only withdrew $999.99 from his ATM. Then what?

Frank
Reply to  25METER_IM
8 years ago

LIAR. throw him to the wolves.

American Lawyer
Reply to  Brazilian Lawyer
8 years ago

We’ll call him a liar if it is found out he reported false robbery.

Remember that no one was saying Lochte a liar until it was established he indeed lied.

American Lawyer
Reply to  Brazilian Lawyer
8 years ago

We’ll call him a liar if it is found out he reported false robbery.

Remember that no one was saying Lochte a liar until it was established he indeed lied.

Taa
Reply to  Brazilian Lawyer
8 years ago

I don’t have reason to think he lied but what if they find the surveillance video from the atm and the robber was smart enough to stay out of view. Do u think they let him go home without making a “donation”? The rio police lied just as much as Lochte did

H2O Bruin
Reply to  Taa
8 years ago

How much did the Rio security guard gain from “shaking down” Lochte and company, $50? This is your logic: off duty Rio police targeting Olympic athletes in order to get their hands on $50? haha….. If I had a criminal mind, I would shake someone down for more than that! That’s like one round of drinks! Lochte defense team is getting so desperate!

Taa
8 years ago

Anyone think he did a Lochte?

About Retta Race

Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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