In shooting of 49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall, teen suspect’s attorney seeks lesser charge – San Bernardino Sun

By JANIE HAR

SAN FRANCISCO — The attorney for a 17-year-old high school student accused of shooting San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall in broad daylight said Tuesday that new video evidence supports his theory that the teen should not be charged with attempted murder.

San Francisco Deputy Public Defender Bob Dunlap said after a preliminary hearing in which the teen waived his right to a speedy trial that the evidence he found showed what happened the afternoon of Aug. 31 in Union Square was an attempted robbery, not an attempted murder.

He said footage he shared with prosecutors showed “it was quite a long struggle” between the two, with Pearsall gaining the upper hand on the teenager.

“This confirms what I’ve always believed and my theory in this case, which is that this is an attempted robbery and not an attempted murder,” Dunlap said.

Pearsall, 23, was walking alone to his car after shopping at luxury stores in Union Square on Aug. 31 when the suspect allegedly saw the NFL player wearing a Rolex watch and other expensive jewelry and tried to rob him at gunpoint, San Francisco police said.

A struggle ensued and gunfire from the suspect’s firearm struck Pearsall and the teenager, who was hit in the arm, they said.

The teen, who lives in Tracy, was arrested about a block from where he allegedly confronted Pearsall.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins charged the teen last week with attempted murder, assault with a semi-automatic weapon and attempted second-degree robbery. Her office later added several gun-related charges.

Jenkins has not yet decided whether she will try the juvenile as an adult and said her office needs time to investigate further and, if appropriate, ask the court to transfer the case to adult court. California law prohibits prosecutors from charging a juvenile as an adult without a judge’s approval.

The 49ers rookie was hit in the chest by a bullet fired at close range, authorities said. His mother, Erin Pearsall, said on social media that the bullet went through the right side of her son’s chest and exited through his back without hitting any vital organs.