Battery charges dropped against Colombia soccer fed prez from Copa America final brawl

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The 71-year-old president of the Colombia Soccer Federation will not be charged with battering a security guard after last month’s chaotic Copa America championship game at Hard Rock Stadium, in which hundreds of fans without tickets breached security and raced from cops to gain entrance.

Miami-Dade state prosecutors told a judge Monday that after reviewing video surveillance, it did not appear that Ramon Jesurun Sr. made any contact with a stadium security guard who had been told to block anyone from gaining access to the field while the teams were celebrating the historic event. And the lone security guard who did tell police Jesurun Sr. battered him, refused repeated attempts to speak with Miami-Dade State Attorney investigators, the state said.

“Without his [Security Guard Jean Garoute] sworn statement and clarification of his role in the incident the state will not be able proceed with any charges related to Mr. Garoute,” Miami-Dade Assistant State Attorney Charles Heinemann wrote in the close-out memo.

Jesurun Sr. had been charged with three counts of battery.

His son, Ramon Jesurun Jr., however, is still facing six felony battery charges for allegedly pummeling security guard Jakari Shaw. According to investigators, the younger Jesurun became so enraged when Shaw denied almost two dozen family members and friends access to the field, that he grabbed him by the neck, kicked and threw him to the ground, causing the security guard’s knee to dislocate. Then when the guard was down, Jesurun Jr. continued to kick him, the state claims.

Lax security leads to soccer championship melee The July 14 Copa America final between Colombia and Argentina at Hard Rock Stadium was marred when thousands of ticketless fans from both sides unexpectedly showed up at the gates and many refused orders to leave the sold-out event, scaling walls, jumping turnstiles and slithering through vents to gain entry.

Jul 14, 2024; Miami, FL, USA; Fans rush the gates before the Copa America Final match between Argentina and Colombia at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL.

READ MORE: Lax security for walk-ins led to breach, chaos at Hard Rock Stadium’s Copa America final

To avoid a stampede, Miami-Dade Police ordered the gates open before kickoff. That led to the stadium becoming so overcrowded that police would soon order the gates shut, locking out many fans who paid top dollar for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see their team and international superstars like Lionel Messi in the championship game.

Others who paid for tickets and who were inside the stadium were unable to get to their seats because they were already occupied. Florida is home to about 300,000 Colombian and Argentine immigrants and soccer fans. Tickets for the highlyanticipated event sold for between $1,500 and $8,000.

The game began 80 minutes late, 27 people were arrested and 55 others were ejected. Some cops suffered cuts and bruises.

Blame spread quickly. Though the soccer governing body that oversaw the event splashed neon signs outside the entrance warning not to drive into the stadium’s interior parking lot without tickets, it didn’t warn people they couldn’t walk in. Miami-Dade Police, who claimed they had four times as many cops there as a typical Sunday Miami Dolphin’s game, were blasted for a poor command structure and not having enough cops.

Miami-Dade County said it’s investigating what went wrong to try and avoid similar disasters in the future.

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