49ers News: Teen Charged in Shooting Ricky Pearsall Reportedly Engaged in Extended Struggle

A teenager has been charged with attempted murder and other offenses in connection with the shooting of San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall. During a recent court appearance, the 17-year-old waived his right to a speedy trial. The next hearing is set for September 26.

“Hopefully by then, the prosecution will have made a decision with regard of whether or not to pursue this (case) as a juvenile, and of course we’re hoping that they’ll see my client for the teenager that he is and allow this to proceed in that fashion,” San Francisco public defender Robert Dunlap told reporters after the brief hearing.

The defense attorney indicated that new surveillance footage from the incident, which occurred on August 31, may support the argument that the case should be treated as an attempted robbery rather than attempted murder. The footage reportedly shows a struggle between Pearsall and the defendant, suggesting a back-and-forth fight.

“It was a rather extended struggle between Mr. Pearsall and my client,” Dunlap said, describing this security footage. “They were really fighting back and forth on the sidewalk. As you might imagine, Mr. Pearsall gets the best of it. He does kind of — I don’t know if you’ve ever wrestled or not — a nice hip toss and throws my client to the ground and ends up on top of him.

“… I think (the video) supports that this is an attempted robbery and not an attempted murder.”

Police reports indicate that three shots were fired during the altercation. One bullet struck Pearsall in the chest but fortunately missed vital organs. He was discharged from the hospital less than 24 hours after the incident and returned to the 49ers' facility the following day. The defendant also sustained a gunshot wound to the forearm.

Currently, the defendant remains in custody until the next hearing. If the District Attorney's office decides to pursue charges in adult court, they will need to file a petition for a fitness hearing. After this case is resolved, the defendant will be transferred to San Joaquin County for another pending legal matter.

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The defense has denied reports claiming the defendant brandished a gun at school prior to the shooting, labeling those claims as false. Further details regarding the defendant's other legal issues have not been disclosed.

“The report in the Daily Mail was false,” Dunlap said. “My client did not have a gun at school. It’s a false report.”