MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Miami-Dade police arrested 27 people following a chaotic situation at the Copa America soccer final between Argentina and Colombia on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, the agency said Monday.
The agency also ejected 55 people, a department spokesperson said.
It was a chaotic scene just hours before the scheduled 8 p.m. start of the championship match between the two South American countries: Fans forced their way in and jumped over security railings and ran past police officers and stadium attendants, some appearing hysterical as they searched for the people they arrived with.
On Monday morning, a few arrestees were seen leaving Miami-Dade’s Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center covering their faces and not wanting to discuss their charges.
The most notable arrest so far has been that of Ramón Jesurún, the 71-year-old president of Colombian soccer. Police also arrested his son; both men are accused of attacking multiple security guards at Hard Rock Stadium.
4 p.m. report:
Local 10 News has learned the identities of some of the other attendees facing felony charges.
Luis Jefferson Beltran Martinez, 36, of Costa Mesa, California, is accused of rushing the gates and throwing water at a police officer attempting to “distract him from detaining another arrestee.”
Beltran Martinez is facing charges of battery on a law enforcement officer and trespassing at a sporting or entertainment event.
Elkin Alberto Mayorga, 35, of Tampa, is accused of jumping the southwest turnstiles and fighting with an officer who tried to eject him from the stadium, screaming obscenities at her, shoving her and hitting her right hand.
He’s facing charges of battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer with violence, trespassing at a sporting or entertainment event and disorderly intoxication.
Beltran Martinez and Mayorga were also being detained on immigration holds.
Fernando Augusto Perez, 56, of Spring, Texas, is accused of grabbing a police officer who was trying to enter the stadium. Police said he ignored officers’ commands and they were forced to use a Taser on him.
Local 10 News spoke to Perez after he bonded out of jail on Monday afternoon.
He said he did have a rightful ticket to be there, one he paid $5,000 for, but he never got inside.
“Once the gates opened, people started pushing in, I got thrown on the ground and got tased,” Perez said. “It was horrible. I got arrested and spent 24 hours in jail for nothing, for just trying to watch the game.”
He’s facing charges of battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting without violence.
There appeared to be significant damage to the venue as a result of Sunday night’s chaos. Video and images posted to social media showed the shattered side railings of an escalator inside the stadium, with shoes, soda cans, reading glasses and articles of clothing left behind. Security railings at a checkpoint in the southwest entrance to the stadium were bent over as thousands of people, including crying children, pushed against them.
The department said over 800 law enforcement officers were at the event.
In a statement released Monday, CONMEBOL, which puts on the event, said it regrets the scene in which countless fans entered the stadium without tickets and “tarnished” the event. The game was delayed for more than an hour as authorities worked to control the situation, eventually deciding to let some fans in without going through security checkpoints.
6 p.m. report:
“In this situation, CONMEBOL was subject to the decisions made by the Hard Rock Stadium authorities, according to the contractual responsibilities established for security operations,” the organization said. “In addition to the preparations determined in this contract, CONMEBOL recommended to these authorities the procedures proven in events of this magnitude, which were NOT taken into account.”
Hard Rock Stadium released a statement Sunday, stating in part:
“We are grateful to the law enforcement officers who managed a difficult situation and prioritized the safety of the venue, the players, their families and the fans. We will continue to work with law enforcement to identify and hold criminals accountable who engaged in illegal conduct tonight. It is disappointing that a night of celebration was impacted by unlawful and unsafe behavior, and we will fully review the processes and protocols in place tonight and work with law enforcement to ensure such an event never happens again.”
Excerpt of Hard Rock Stadium statement