San Francisco 49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall asked a police officer if he was going to die after being shot over the weekend, according to reports.
Pearsall, who was selected by the 49ers in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft, took a bullet to the chest on Saturday night after being targeted for his Rolex watch in downtown San Francisco.
The 23-year-old wide receiver was initially listed as being in a ‘serious but stable condition’ before being released from hospital on Sunday.
Following his release, a San Francisco police sergeant has revealed Pearsall’s harrowing first words after he was shot on Saturday.
Via NBC Bay Area, Sgt. Joelle Harrell said: ‘He looks at me and he’s like, “Am I gonna die?” I’m just like, “No.”
‘I take off my hat because I wanted to make eye contact with him. I wanted him to hear me. I said to him, “Listen, look at me. I know you don’t know me, but I want you to trust me, it’s not your time.”‘
Harrell was unaware that Pearsall was an NFL player until she began treating the wound, before she tried to reassure him by saying: ‘Remember you’re gonna be ok. You’re strong, be strong like you are on the field.’
‘And he listened,’ she added, via San Francisco Chronicle. ‘He calmed down, and that’s what I wanted him to do.’
A 17-year-old suspect is believed to have been trying to rob Pearsall of his Rolex watch before a struggle ensued and both of them were shot in the Union Square area.
Police immediately apprehended the suspect, who was not wearing shoes after losing them at the scene of the attack. They remained in custody as of Monday night and face potential charges this week.
Following the ordeal, Pearsall went on the 49ers’ reserve/non-football injury list on Monday.
He will therefore miss at least the first four games of his rookie season after the incident in San Francisco’s Union Square on Saturday.
In order to fill the vacancy on their 53-man roster, the Niners signed offensive tackle Brandon Parker to a one-year deal.
