MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) 鈥 Ram贸n Jesur煤n had charges of battering a security guard at the Copa America final dropped on Monday, more than a month after the Colombian soccer federation president and his son were arrested at the match where hundreds of fans forced their way into Hard Rock Stadium.
Michael Band, an attorney for the 71-year-old Jesur煤n, said prosecutors decided to drop the felony battery charges after carefully considering the evidence. Charges remain against Jesur煤n鈥檚 son, Ramon Jesur煤n Jr., who is scheduled to go on trial in November.
鈥淚 appreciate the state attorney鈥檚 review of this matter,鈥 said Band, who represents both men. 鈥淗opefully we can reach an agreement in terms of resolution鈥 for the younger Jesur煤n as well, he added.
Jesur煤n and his son both faced three counts of felony battery on an official after being accused of fighting stadium security guards after Argentina defeated Colombia in the Copa final on July 14.
Arrest records said both men tried to go onto the field through a tunnel where media was gathering after the match. They got into a verbal altercation with stadium security who stopped them after being instructed to not allow guests in while players were coming on or off the field at the same time.
The verbal altercation eventually turned physical with a guard placing an 鈥渙pen palm鈥 on Jesur煤n Jr.'s chest to 鈥済uide him back鈥 and the younger Jesur煤n grabbing the guard 鈥渁round his neck鈥 and pulling him to the ground before throwing 鈥渢wo punches that impacted鈥 the guard, the arrest report said.
Video evidence did not show that the elder Jesur煤n made any physical contact with stadium security or any other employees during the melee, Miami-Dade assistant state attorney Charles Heinemann wrote in the close-out memo.
Heinemann wrote that one of the security guards involved who told officers that Jesur煤n had battered him did not appear at pre-file conferences scheduled by the state and 鈥渉as not returned our phone calls or emails.鈥
Without the guard's "sworn statement and clarification of his role in the incident the state will not be able proceed with any charges,鈥 Heinemann wrote.
Chaos broke out before the Copa America final when crowds of fans 鈥 some without tickets 鈥 forced their way into Hard Rock Stadium. Crowds jumped over security railings and ran inside past police officers and stadium attendants.
Jesur煤n has been president of the Colombian soccer federation since 2015 and is a vice president of CONMEBOL, South American soccer鈥檚 governing organization that puts the Copa America tournament together.
The stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, which is home to the NFL鈥檚 Dolphins, will be the site of seven World Cup matches in 2026, including a quarterfinal and third-place match.
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Associated Press writer Joshua Goodman contributed to this report.
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