Colombia Soccer Chief Faces Battery Charges After Arrest at Copa America Final

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Facts

• The president of the Colombian Football Federation, Ramón Jesurún, and his 43-year-old son have been charged with battery on official employees during the Copa América final between Argentina and Colombia on Sunday in Miami.¹
• They were arrested at Hard Rock Stadium following the game and booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center a little after 4 a.m. on Monday. Later that day, they were released on bail.²
• According to their arrest reports, both men attacked three security guards — including a female guard — tasked with keeping the crowd out of a pedestrian tunnel where media members were gathering.³
• Video footage posted on social media shows part of the fight, in which the younger Jesurún allegedly took security guard Jakari Shaw to the ground and kicked him in the head. Shaw was taken to Jackson North Medical Center for treatment.⁴
• The Jesurúns are believed to have been trying to enter the field to take part in the awards ceremony after Argentina's 1-0 victory over Colombia in a game whose kick-off was delayed for nearly 80 minutes by crowd control issues.⁵
• Ramón Jesurún also serves as vice president of Copa América organizer [and South American soccer's governing body] CONMEBOL, and is a member of the FIFA Council.⁶

Sources: ¹CBS, ²ESPN.com, ³Miami Herald, ⁴New York Post, ⁵BBC News and ⁶FOX News.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by New York Times. As chaotic scenes have marred the Copa America final in Miami on Sunday, it's shocking to learn that even Colombia's soccer chief has been involved in physical altercations with security guards. When even an authority exhibits unruly behavior, it's hard to expect anything different from ordinary fans.
• Narrative B, as provided by NBC. First and foremost, it's key to stress that this incident has nothing to do with chaotic scenes seen outside the Hard Rock Stadium before kick-off. While the Jesurúns did have a brawl with officials, these charges are completely unjustified as the fight only started because security guards barred them in disregard of their official credentials.

Predictions