Ramón Jesurún, the president of the Colombian Football Federation, was arrested Sunday night during a chaotic Copa América final between Colombia and Argentina at Hard Rock Stadium.
Jesurún, who also serves as the vice president of CONMEBOL, the governing body for Copa América, is facing three felony counts of battery on a specified official or employee after being accused of fighting security guards at the stadium, per Miami-Dade Police Department’s arrest report of the incident.
The incident also involved his son, 43-year-old Ramón Jamil Jesurún.
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Ramon Jesurun, president of Colombia’s Federation of Football ‘FCF’ during the Colombia Vs USA Womens U20 friendly preparatory match in Bogota, Colombia’s El Campin Stadium for the 2024 U20 Womens Wold Cup, on February 25, 2024. (Sebastian Barros/Long Visual Press/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Jesurún, 71, is also a member of the FIFA council. He was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center around 4:15 a.m. on Monday, per jail records.
The arrest report states that the father-son duo fought security guards holding people back from a tunnel where the media were gathering following the 1-0 Colombia loss to Argentina in the Copa América final. This occurred around 12:20 a.m. on Monday.
COPA AMÉRICA CHAOS ‘SHOULD NEVER HAVE TAKEN PLACE,’ MIAMI-DADE OFFICIALS SAY
Police say they were “irate” and started “shouting” at a guard, who placed his hand on the younger Jesurún’s chest to “guide him back.” That’s when things got physical, as the elder Jesurún allegedly stepped forward and pushed the guard.
Then, the younger Jesurún is accused of grabbing the guard’s neck and punching him, according to the report.
They were expected to appear in Miami court Monday afternoon following their arrests.
This chaotic scene at the end of the match came after pure pandemonium took place beforehand, as several fans rushed past security and stadium attendants without tickets and sprinted toward seats, which delayed the start of the match for more than an hour.
Miami-Dad County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Chief Public Safety Officer James Reyes criticized the situation.
Policemen talk with fans outside the stadium prior to the Copa America final soccer match between Argentina and Colombia in Miami Gardens, Fla., Sunday, July 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
“Our top priority must be the safety and security of all our residents and visitors, and we urge everyone in attendance at tonight’s game to abide by all directives from law enforcement and security personnel for the safety of all attendees,” they said, adding that more than 550 officers were assigned to the stadium along with more personnel brought out of Miami-Dade Police’s jurisdiction to help.
“Let’s be clear: The situation should never have taken place and cannot happen again. We will work with stadium leadership to ensure that a full review of tonight’s events takes place immediately to evaluate the full chain of events, in order to put in place needed protocols and policies and all future games.”
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Not only did a stampede happen that displaced children from parents and injured some in the process, Hard Rock Stadium saw destruction as well. Videos showed fans completely destroying an escalator leading to the ’72 Club,’ while others attempted to enter the stadium through airducts.
The chaos that ensued at Hard Rock Stadium led one fan caught up in the mess to believe at least Miami isn’t prepared for the 2026 World Cup.
“They can’t organize a World Cup! It’s impossible,” a fan named Claudia told The Associated Press in Spanish. “People stuck against the gate for hours, unable to breathe. There was a senior citizen, look at him, look at him (motioning at his young son), left without water. No water, nothing.”
“It is tough to explain what happened before the game,” Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni added through an interpreter. “We had players waiting for their family members to get into the stadium, waiting for an hour. We had to start a match without knowing where our family members were. I think the players for Colombia were going through the same thing. It was very weird.”
Hard Rock Stadium issued a statement as well, noting the many ticket holders who didn’t get to experience the match despite paying thousands for seats.
“We understand there are disappointed ticket holders who were not able to enter the stadium after the perimeter was closed and we will work in partnership with CONMEBOL to address those individual concerns,” the stadium added. “Ultimately, there is nothing more important than the health and safety of all guests and staff, and that will always remain our priority.
Ramon Jesurun, president of Colombia’s Federation of Football ‘FCF’ during the Colombia Vs USA Womens U20 friendly preparatory match in Bogota, Colombia’s El Campin Stadium for the 2024 U20 Womens Wold Cup, on February 25, 2024. (Sebastian Barros/Long Visual Press/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
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“We will continue to work with law enforcement to identify and hold criminals accountable who engaged in illegal conduct tonight. It is disappointing that a night of celebration was impacted by unlawful and unsafe behavior, and we will fully review the processes and protocols in place tonight and work with law enforcement to ensure such an event never happens again.”
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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