Colombia football head arrested on battery charge

The head of the Colombian Football Federation, Ramón Jesurún, and his son have been arrested, following a brawl at Sunday's Copa América final in Miami.

Mr Jesurún, 71, and Ramón Jamil Jesurún, 43, were held on charges of battery involving an official or an employee, said the Miami-Dade Police Department.

The charges relate to the brawl at the stadium after Colombia lost to Argentina 0-1 in extra time.

Neither Mr Jesurún nor his son have publicly commented on the issue.

In a statement sent to the BBC, the Miami-Dade Police Department said the incident had happened just after the football match ended at the Hard Rock Stadium in the south-eastern US state.

Mr Jesurún and his son were "walking towards the entrance of the field", it said, 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 Mr Jesurún's son to guide him back.

Mr Jesurún 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.

Mr Jesurún'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.

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

On Tuesday the Colombian Football Federation released a statement saying the incident began when stadium security "prevented timely and direct access to the field to most members of the Colombian delegation".

"As the governing body of Colombian football, we regret this event and offer our apologies to the organizers of the tournament, the host country and the people who were affected," the statement read.

"Ramon Jesurun, driven by his paternal instinct rushed to complain about what happened but ended up overwhelmed by the situation, as he was in the corridor with his wife, sons, daughters and young grandchildren,"

"For his part, president Jesurun deeply regrets these events, which should never have happened."

The start of the final of the Americas' most prestigious football tournament was delayed by 80 minutes after ticketless fans forced their way into Miami's Hard Rock Stadium.

Several arrests were made after clashes with police and security personnel, while several supporters needed treatment from paramedics.