Inaction as illegitimacy: crowd perceptions of police during the 2024 Copa América stadium breach

On July 14, 2024, thousands of ticketless fans breached the perimeter of Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, during the Copa América international football tournament final. Despite the presence of more than 900 police officers from thirteen agencies, access control failed across four stadium entry zones, leaving legitimate ticket holders trapped outside in dangerous heat and crowd conditions. Drawing on police radio communications and emergency calls for service, this paper examines how crowd members perceived police responses during the disorder and how those perceptions contributed to an erosion of trust and confidence in police seen as inactive despite their visible presence. Analysis of dispatch recordings reconstructs a five-phase chronology tracing the progression from early warning signs to widespread disorder. Thematic analysis of the calls for service reveals how crowd members perceived escalating danger, expressed collective fear, and voiced growing distrust of the police response – captured in real time rather than through retrospective accounts. Interpreted through the elaborated social identity model and situated within a broader history of stadium disasters, the findings point to systemic failures in access control, crowd management, and institutional learning. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.