Colombian Football head arrested on charges of battery after Copa America Final chaos
New Delhi: Colombian Football Federation president Ramon Jesurun Franco and his son Ramon Jamil have been arrested on the charges of battery, following a brawl at Sunday’s Copa America final in Miami.
Jail records show that 71-year-old Jesurun, who is also the vice president of CONMEBOL, the South American soccer body that organised the continental tournament, and his 43-year-old son Jamil were booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center around 4:20 am Monday (US time), where they remained as of 3 pm on Monday, according to a report from the Miami New Times.
The father-son duo were allegedly involved in a violent altercation with multiple security guards who were attempting to keep people away from a media-gathering area following the sold-out match between Colombia and Argentina at the Hard Rock Stadium.
According to the police report, the altercation became physical once the security officer asked Jesurun and his son to step back. The officer stated that the duo quickly “became irate” and began “shouting” at the guard. Jesurun pushed the guard, after which his son grabbed the guard’s neck, punched him, and kicked him in the head.
Additionally, Jesurun’s son reportedly grabbed and pushed a female official who tried to intervene, according to the police.
The arrests occurred hours after the Copa America final, which saw Argentina secure a 1-0 victory over Colombia. The final match was delayed by 80 minutes due to ticketless fans forcing their way into the stadium.
