Ramón Jesurún, the president of the Colombian Soccer Federation, was arrested Sunday evening throughout a chaotic Copa América final between Colombia and Argentina at Exhausting Rock Stadium.
Jesurún, who additionally serves because the vice chairman of CONMEBOL, the governing physique for Copa América, is dealing with three felony counts of battery on a specified official or worker after being accused of combating safety guards on the stadium, per Miami-Dade Police Department’s arrest report of the incident.
The incident additionally concerned his son, 43-year-old Ramón Jamil Jesurún.
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Ramon Jesurun, president of Colombia’s Federation of Soccer ‘FCF’ throughout the Colombia Vs USA Womens U20 pleasant preparatory match in Bogota, Colombia’s El Campin Stadium for the 2024 U20 Womens Wold Cup, on February 25, 2024. (Sebastian Barros/Lengthy Visible Press/Common Pictures Group by way of Getty Pictures)
Jesurún, 71, can also be a member of the FIFA council. He was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Focus on 4:15 a.m. on Monday, per jail data.
The arrest report states that the father-son duo fought safety guards holding folks again from a tunnel the place the media have been gathering following the 1-0 Colombia loss to Argentina within the Copa América remaining. This occurred round 12:20 a.m. on Monday.
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Police say they have been “irate” and began “shouting” at a guard, who positioned his hand on the youthful Jesurún’s chest to “information him again.” That’s when issues obtained bodily, because the elder Jesurún allegedly stepped ahead and pushed the guard.
Then, the youthful Jesurún is accused of grabbing the guard’s neck and punching him, in line with the report.
They have been anticipated to seem in Miami court docket Monday afternoon following their arrests.
This chaotic scene on the end of the match got here after pure pandemonium passed off beforehand, as a number of followers rushed previous safety and stadium attendants with out tickets and sprinted towards seats, which delayed the beginning of the match for greater than an hour.
Miami-Dad County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Chief Public Security Officer James Reyes criticized the state of affairs.
Policemen discuss with followers outdoors the stadium previous to the Copa America remaining soccer match between Argentina and Colombia in Miami Gardens, Fla., Sunday, July 14, 2024. (AP Photograph/Lynne Sladky)
“Our prime precedence have to be the security and safety of all our residents and guests, and we urge everybody in attendance at tonight’s sport to abide by all directives from legislation enforcement and safety personnel for the security of all attendees,” they stated, including that greater than 550 officers have been assigned to the stadium together with extra personnel introduced out of Miami-Dade Police’s jurisdiction to assist.
“Let’s be clear: The state of affairs ought to by no means have taken place and can’t occur once more. We are going to work with stadium management to make sure that a full assessment of tonight’s occasions takes place instantly to judge the total chain of occasions, in an effort to put in place wanted protocols and insurance policies and all future video games.”
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Not solely did a stampede occur that displaced youngsters from mother and father and injured some within the course of, Exhausting Rock Stadium noticed destruction as nicely. Movies confirmed followers fully destroying an escalator resulting in the ’72 Membership,’ whereas others tried to enter the stadium by way of airducts.
The chaos that ensued at Exhausting Rock Stadium led one fan caught up within the mess to imagine not less than Miami isn’t ready for the 2026 World Cup.
“They’ll’t set up a World Cup! It’s inconceivable,” a fan named Claudia instructed The Related Press in Spanish. “Individuals caught towards the gate for hours, unable to breathe. There was a senior citizen, take a look at him, take a look at him (motioning at his younger son), left with out water. No water, nothing.”
“It’s robust to elucidate what occurred earlier than the sport,” Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni added by way of an interpreter. “We had gamers ready for his or her members of the family to get into the stadium, ready for an hour. We needed to begin a match with out realizing the place our members of the family have been. I believe the gamers for Colombia have been going by way of the identical factor. It was very bizarre.”
Exhausting Rock Stadium issued a press release as nicely, noting the various ticket holders who didn’t get to expertise the match regardless of paying 1000’s for seats.
“We perceive there are disillusioned ticket holders who weren’t in a position to enter the stadium after the perimeter was closed and we are going to work in partnership with CONMEBOL to deal with these particular person considerations,” the stadium added. “Finally, there may be nothing extra essential than the well being and security of all company and employees, and that may all the time stay our precedence.
Ramon Jesurun, president of Colombia’s Federation of Soccer ‘FCF’ throughout the Colombia Vs USA Womens U20 pleasant preparatory match in Bogota, Colombia’s El Campin Stadium for the 2024 U20 Womens Wold Cup, on February 25, 2024. (Sebastian Barros/Lengthy Visible Press/Common Pictures Group by way of Getty Pictures)
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“We are going to proceed to work with legislation enforcement to establish and maintain criminals accountable who engaged in unlawful conduct tonight. It’s disappointing {that a} evening of celebration was impacted by illegal and unsafe conduct, and we are going to absolutely assessment the processes and protocols in place tonight and work with legislation enforcement to make sure such an occasion by no means occurs once more.”
Fox Information’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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