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San Francisco 49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall might have had someone looking out for him from above moments after he was shot in an attempted robbery on Saturday near Union Square in downtown San Francisco. The 49ers rookie's life very likely was saved by San Francisco Police Department Sergeant Joelle Harrell. In an exclusive story from The San Francisco Chronicle‘s St. John Barned-Smith, Sgt. Harrell recounted how she initially heard what she thought were gunshots and ran in the direction of the sound.
Upon finding Pearsall, Sgt. Harrell, at first, was unaware that he played for the 49ers. The first-round draft pick told her that the suspect tried to rob Pearsall as he was walking back to his car. After a few moments, Sgt. Harrell told Barned-Smith that she took Pearsall's shirt and used it to apply pressure to his chest wound. She used her hat to pressure the through-and-through wound in his back, telling the 49ers rookie to remain calm.
Pearsall asked Sgt. Harrell if he was going to die from the gunshot wounds he had just sustained. Sgt. Harrell reassured Pearsall and said that he wasn't going to die, and she started praying.
“You’re strong,” Sgt. Harrell told Pearsall. “Just focus on the breathing. And he listened. He calmed down, and that’s what I wanted him to do.”
The 49ers announced in a statement that Pearsall was released from the hospital on Sunday. San Francisco has high hopes for Pearsall, but for now, the only thing that matters is his recovery from a traumatic incident and serious injuries. But if it wasn't for Sgt. Harrell, Pearsall might be in worse shape.
Ricky Pearsall and the 49ers are hoping for a full and quick recovery
Pearsall dealt with some nagging injuries throughout training camp, but his potential gave San Francisco optimism. Before Saturday night's incident, there was a lot of hope that the first-rounder would add another dimension to an already dangerous offense. The 49ers already have Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle to pass to. Adding Pearsall's blinding speed to the mix would make San Francisco impossible to defend.
But what matters most isn't football – it's Pearsall's recovery. The gunshot went through his chest and missed all vital organs, according to his mother, Erin. Thankfully, the 49ers rookie is expected to make a full recovery. Now that he's been released from the hospital, Pearsall can eventually return to the field for his rookie season.
