Russia Denies Diplomat Killed Attempted Robber With Own Gun In Rio Ahead Of Olympics

Police in Rio di Janeiro stated a Russian diplomat trying to stop an attempted robbery Thursday near the Olympic Park was involved in a shooting that left the thief dead. The Russian embassy denied any of its employees were involved in the altercation.

Russia Denies Diplomat Killed Attempted Robber

Local police said a Russian vice consul wrestled with a gunman who was attempting to rob him, causing the firearm to go off and kill the attacker. In a statement to The Associated Press, the Russians dispelled the police report.

“There must be a misunderstanding,” the embassy said in an email late Thursday.

The Russian government also added its representatives are not armed. It emphasized that consulate officials are “Russian citizens with Russian names,” contrary to media reports that gave a Brazilian-sounding name.

Authorities did not officially identify any of the people involved in the shooting, and only said the man who was attacked was a lawyer and a vice consul for Russia.

The O Globo newspaper and other local media said the Russian diplomat practiced Jiu-jitsu. They also reported that he was driving with his wife and daughter when he became stuck in a traffic jam on Avenida das Americas, a main highway of Barra da Tijuca, home to the Olympic Park. Two gunmen then attacked, media said. The police only spoke of the assailant, who was murdered.

“The vice consul got into a physical confrontation with the aggressor, and during the fight, the assailant’s gun was fired several times,” said the police statement. The homicide unit opened an investigation.

Street muggings like this one are reportedly common in Rio di Janeiro, particularly in areas with heavy traffic where motorcycles can drive in between lanes, assault drivers and escape easily.

Several athletes competing in the games have already been robbed or attacked in some way in recent weeks. These security concerns, along with concerns over the Zika virus, are among the many problems facing this year’s summer Olympics.

According to Russian state-run Tass news agency, Vladimir Tokmakov, the Russian general consul in Rio, stated that no consular staff members were involved in a shootout and that the shooter may have been simply posing as a diplomat.

“All Russian diplomats and personnel of Russian foreign institutions located in Rio de Janeiro are safe and sound and are of no relation to the aforesaid incident. The man who was involved in the incident could have presented himself as a general consulate employee,” Tokmakov told Tass.

Rio’s civil police refused to comment on the case when reached by CNN, while calls to the military police were not answered.