MIAMI, FL—Miami-Dade County sheriff candidate Joe Sanchez, a Republican, is calling on liberal Mayor Daniella Levine-Cava to depose her Director of Public Safety, James Reyes, after major security breaches and property destruction at the Hard Rock Stadium during the Copa America final.
Reyes, a Democrat, has been endorsed by Levine-Cava for the sheriff position—putting him in direct conflict with Sanchez.
"The scenes at Hard Rock Stadium tonight are chaotic and embarrassing to our community. This very dangerous situation is a result of a lack of leadership and strategic planning," said Sanchez, a Florida Highway Patrol Trooper, in a statement. "It’s clear that having a Director of Public Safety spending most of his time campaigning, instead of focusing on the safety of the residents of Miami-Dade, our visitors, and the men and women of our law enforcement agencies, is backfiring on our community."
Sanchez continued, demanding Reyes either resign or take a leave of absence so that a "competent officer" can take his place to keep "our community safe and not [pretend] to be a politician."
The Republican candidate, who took a leave of absence himself after announcing his candidacy in January, referred to the pandemonium that seized Miami's Hard Rock Stadium Sunday night during the Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia. Such was the excitement that fans without tickets were seen climbing fences, crawling through vents, rushing security, fighting police officers, and vandalizing property to the point that Hard Rock officials were instructed to allow the unruly fans into the stadium to avoid "stampedes and serious injury."
This means that fans who paid up to $2,000 for tickets had their seats forsaken in favor of those who rushed the stadium gates, getting to watch Argentina win 1-0 firsthand in overtime.
"We understand there are disappointed ticket holders who were not able to enter the stadium after the perimeter was closed, and we will work...to address those concerns," said Hard Rock officials in a statement. "Ultimately, there is nothing more important than the health and safety of all guests and staff, and that will always remain our priority."
This is not the first controversy Reyes has found himself embroiled in. In June, the Florida Bulldog alleged that Reyes had participated in a $750,000 rigging scandal to help Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony—who is awaiting final judgment on whether his license to be a cop should be revoked for lying before a judge—win re-election.
No investigation has been announced.
