This is how I think I would have approached Lochte Gate:
- Ask for the time, date, location of incident, and those involved – What type of gas station was it? What time did it happened? Where is the gas station location? Who were present at the event? Swimmers and everyone else in the general area.
- Obtain security camera footage — Could we obtain a copy of the surveillance footage of that night?
- Get a statement from Ryan Lochte or his publicist — What happened as you remember it? Why do you think what happened, happened? Did anything provoke them?
- Validate statement from Ryan Lochte’s mother – What did your son tell you? How did he phrase it?
- note that she was not present during the alleged robbery
- Get statements from USOC and IOC – Why do the USOC and the IOC comments about the situation contradict each other? Is one committee covering something or does one not have all the facts?
- Interview those involved in situation and or obtain statements from the representatives of the swimmers — (asking Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger, or Jimmy Feigen) What happened that night? Why were you at the gas station? What started everything? Was a gun really held to Ryan’s head? How much of Ryan’s statement coincides with what you saw?
- There was little to no reason to obtain a statement from Micheal Phelps, he was not directly involved in the situation
- Interview police and determine severity of damaged property — How did the police obtain the necessary information to take their stance? Did they just talk to the people in the gas station? Did they talk to the swimmers as well?
- Assess why there was a gun in the first place — Why was there a gun? What are the laws concerning carrying a gun in Rio?
- note law differences about gun control in different countries
- Once all of the information is then gathered and verified, write the story