New details emerge about Ricky Pearsall shooting

SAN FRANCISCO ( KRON ) — San Francisco 49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall and the 17-year-old who shot him were engaged in an “extended struggle” before the wide receiver took a bullet to the chest, San Francisco Deputy Public Defender Bob Dunlap told reporters gathered at the courthouse on Tuesday.

Pearsall, 24, was shot near San Francisco’s Union Square on Aug. 31, sending shockwaves through the city. He was on the sideline for the 49ers’ opener against the New York Jets on Monday night.

Pearsall was shopping at luxury stores in Union Square when the suspect saw his Rolex and expensive jewelry and tried to rob him. After a struggle, Pearsall was shot through the chest and the would-be robber was shot in the arm.

“They’re really sort of fighting back and forth on the sidewalk,” Dunlap said. “As you might imagine, Mr. Pearsall gets the best of it.”

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins charged the suspect, a 17-year-old boy from Tracy, with attempted murder, assault with a semi-automatic firearm, and robbery. Dunlap argued Tuesday that his client should face robbery charges rather than attempted murder.

Dunlap said he saw video that showed the altercation, which supports his claim that his client intended to rob Pearsall, not kill him.

After the juvenile was shot in the forearm, he flagged down officers to ask for help, Dunlap said. First responders who assisted Pearsall were honored at Monday night’s 49ers game.

Jenkins charged him as a juvenile, but she could still push to have him charged as an adult. The suspect would get out of jail by his 25th birthday if he is charged as a juvenile, but California law prevents prosecutors from charging a minor as an adult without judicial approval.

Dunlap also shot down a Daily Mail report that said the shooter brought a gun to school the week before the Pearsall shooting. “My client did not have a gun at school. It’s a false report,” he said. The teen was on track to graduate high school early, Dunlap said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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