Colombian Football Federation president Ramon Jesurun was arrested in Miami during an incident at Sunday’s Copa America final, according to a police report.
The Miami-Dade County police report indicated that Jesurun was arrested on charges of “assault on officer/employee” on Sunday night at Hard Rock Stadium.
Chaos ensued as spectators stormed the gates at the home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins. People were pushed to the ground, and some attempted to sneak into the stadium through huge air conditioning ducts, resulting in the start of the match being delayed by 80 minutes.
Argentina defeated Colombia 1-0 in the final, with a goal in extra time by Lautaro Martinez.
Jesurun, 71, was not allowed to enter the field with his son and other family members for the awards ceremony, reported the Colombian newspaper El Tiempo. Jesurun’s son confronted a security guard who denied them access. Jesurun, who is also a vice president of the regional governing body CONMEBOL, got involved in the dispute before police officers intervened, according to the newspaper.
Miami-Dade police reported 27 arrests and 55 ejections from the stadium during the match.
“I’m very proud of our officers’ response to a volatile situation and for their hard work in keeping our community safe, as well as our law enforcement partners who provided key support,” police director Stephanie Daniels said.
“As part of the full analysis of last night’s game, we will review protocols set in place to ensure an orderly, safe, and secure environment for all future events.”
CONMEBOL, the South American football governing body, stated that it had suggested security procedures to the organisers that were not implemented.
“Fans without tickets went to the vicinity of the stadium, which delayed the normal access of the people who did have them, slowing down the entry and leading to the closure of doors,” CONMEBOL said.
“In this situation, CONMEBOL was subject to the decisions made by the authorities of Hard Rock Stadium, by the contractual responsibilities established for the security operation.”
CONMEBOL added, “In addition to the provisions determined in said contract, CONMEBOL recommended to these authorities the procedures tested in events of this magnitude, which were not taken. We regret that the acts of violence produced by malicious people have tarnished a final that was ready to be a great celebration of sport.
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