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Ramon Jesuruen, president of the Colombian Football Federation, was arrested at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, after Argentina defeated Colombia in the Copa America final on Sunday.
Jesuruen, who is also the vice-president of tournament organizer and South American football federation CONMEBOL, was charged with three felony counts of “battery on a designated official/employee”.
According to a Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) arrest report, Jesurun, 71, is accused of being involved in an “aggressive physical altercation” with multiple stadium security officers.
According to another arrest report, the 43-year-old son of the federation’s president, Ramon Jamil Jesurun, was arrested on a battery charge and a misdemeanor battery charge in the same dispute.
Neither the Colombian Football Federation nor CONMEBOL have responded to CNN’s request for more information on Jesurúnes’ arrest.
Police allege that Jesuruns was part of a group trying to access the tunnel leading to the field, where security officers were temporarily blocking people while the media gathered in the next part of the tunnel.
The arrest report states that Jesuruns then became “irate” and began yelling at a security officer. Jesurun Sr. is accused of pushing the officer who placed his hands on the President in an attempt to detain him, and Jesurun Jr. is accused of grabbing the officer by the neck and dragging him to the ground before punching and kicking him.
According to arrest reports, additional security officers intervened and were also attacked by the Jesuruns as other members of their group attempted to stop the father and son.
According to MDPD, 27 arrests were made and 55 people were ejected in connection with the game, including a large number of people entering Hard Rock Stadium without tickets before the highly anticipated match. MDPD said in its statement that more than 800 law enforcement officers from multiple local agencies were present at the stadium.
As a result of crowd control issues, the director of the Miami-Dade Police Department called for a comprehensive review of all safety and security protocols prior to the World Cup in 2026. Hard Rock Stadium will host seven matches in the tournament.
MDPD Director Stephanie V. Daniels said in a release, “As part of the thorough analysis of last night’s game, we will review the protocols put in place to ensure an orderly, safe and secure environment for all future events. ” “I am extremely proud of our officers’ response to a volatile situation and their hard work in keeping our community safe.”
After fans breached security, Miami-Dade police closed the entrances and delayed kickoff.
one in statementRecounting the night’s events, Hard Rock Stadium said, “Fans continued to engage in illegal conduct – fighting police officers, breaking down walls and barricades and vandalizing the stadium, causing significant property damage.”
Hard Rock Stadium said, “The decision was made to reopen the stadium gates for a short period of time to all fans to prevent stampedes and serious injuries in the perimeter.”
“The gates were closed after the risk of feather crush was reduced. At that time, the venue was packed and the gates were not reopened,” stadium officials said. “We understand that there are disappointed ticket holders who were not able to enter the stadium following the perimeter closure, and we will work in partnership with CONMEBOL to address those individual concerns.”
In a statement issued on Monday regarding the security breaches, CONMEBOL said it was “subject to the decisions taken by Hard Rock Stadium officials, in accordance with established contractual responsibilities for security operations.”
“In addition to the preparations set out in this contract, CONMEBOL recommended to these authorities proven procedures in incidents of this magnitude, which were not taken into account,” the confederation said. “We regret that acts of violence perpetrated by malicious individuals have tarnished what was set to be a great sporting extravaganza.”
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniela Levin Cava said she was outraged by the events at the stadium Sunday night.
“This situation should never have happened and can never happen again. “We will work with stadium leadership to ensure that a full review of tonight’s events occurs immediately to evaluate the full range of events, so that the necessary protocols and policies are in place for all future games,” he said in a statement. Can be made.