Colombia football head, son arrested on battery charge after Copa America

The head of the Colombian Football Federation Ramón Jesurún and his son Ramón Jamil were arrested after a getting involved in a conflict during the Copa America final in Miami on Sunday.

The 71-year-old top football official and his 43-year-old son were taken into custody by the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) on charges of battery involving a sports official or employee.

The charges stem from an altercation at the stadium after Colombia’s 1-0 loss to Argentina during extra time.

However, neither Ramón nor his son have publicly comamented on the issue.

What happened?

A statement from the MDPD said that the altercation occurred immediately after the football match at the Hard Rock Stadium in Florida, the BBC reported.

It suggested that Ramón and his son were "walking towards the entrance of the field" but they became "irate and began shouting" at one of the security officers, who was instructed by his management to temporarily delay people from going further.

The police said the officer had "placed an open palm" on the chest of Ramón's son to guide him back.

Ramón then pushed the officer, they said, while his son grabbed the officer's neck and pulled him to the ground, punching him and kicking him in the head.

Ramón's son also grabbed and pushed a female official who tried to assist, the police said.

It added that the two men had also punched a security manager.

Ramón, his son and other family members are believed to have been trying to go on the pitch to take part in the awards ceremony.

The start of the final of the Americas' most prestigious football tournament was delayed by 80 minutes after ticketless fans forced their way into stadium, leading to several arrests after clashes with police and security personnel.

Meanwhile several supporters needed treatment from paramedics.