San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall had a rough experience on the weekend, having sustained injuries during an attempted robbery on Saturday afternoon.
The rookie had been at an autograph-signing event when a would-be robber made a play to rid him of his Rolex watch. He suffered a gunshot wound to the chest during the struggle that ensued, but it was announced that he was stable in hospital a few hours later.
Pearsall has since been discharged. However, according to Police Sargent Joelle Harrell, who was one of the first responders on the scene at Union Square, he was not confident he would make it during the immediate aftermath.
The officer told Good Morning America the player was fearful he might die as she tried keeping him calm while administering aid.
“I said, ‘I want you to listen to me. I know you don’t know me, but please trust me. God is with us. It’s not your time,’” she claimed to have told him.
Harrell recalled having used her right hand to put pressure on the wound before medical professionals took over.
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“He [asked], ‘Am I going to die?’ And I told him, ‘Remember you’re going to be okay. You’re strong right?’” she continued. “[Because] I had told him out there, ‘Be strong like you are on the field.’”
Quick Response Time Allowed Police TO Capture Ricky Pearsall’s Shooter
A 17-year-old has been arrested in connection with the shooting and was still on the scene when police arrived, having also sustained injuries after approaching Pearsall with a gun. They were both taken to the hospital.
According to San Francisco Police Department Chief William Scott, he may have gotten away had police not arrived as quickly as they did.
“Response time matters and the fact that [officers] were there within a minute — if it had been a seven or eight minute response time, that person likely would’ve got away,” Scott said. “And as tragic as this incident is, I really hope that it doesn’t overshadow the tremendous amount of progress that we’ve made this year reducing crime.”
