The high school senior charged with the attempted murder of San Francisco 49ers player Ricky Pearsall is “extremely remorseful” for shooting the rookie receiver, Pearsall's attorney said after his arraignment in juvenile court on Wednesday.
Bob Dunlap, the 17-year-old's public defender, told reporters after the hearing that his client, who also faces charges of assault with a semi-automatic rifle and attempted robbery, expressed remorse for Saturday's shooting in San Francisco's Union Square.
Piersall, a first-round draft pick, was shot in the chest during an attempted robbery and is expected to miss the first four games of the season.
“The suspect is truly sorry that this happened, and so is his family,” Dunlap said after the arraignment, “and I offer on their behalf and on my own behalf my deepest condolences to the Pearsall family and Mr. Pearsall himself.”
“There is genuine remorse for that,” Dunlap added. “He's still a young boy.”
The 17-year-old will remain in custody in San Francisco, Superior Court Judge Roger Chang ruled. The boy's probation officer recommended he be transferred to his home county of San Joaquin, where he has another case pending.
Pearsall, 23, was shot on Saturday at about 3.30pm when a teenager allegedly tried to steal his Rolex watch.
The rookie officer fought off the robber, but during the struggle his gun went off, hitting him with one bullet and the suspect with the other.
“Rickey just didn't accept that,” San Francisco Superintendent Aaron Peskin said of the officers' determination to combat the NFL player's robbery. Los Angeles Times.
The boy was quickly arrested as he attempted to flee on foot through the busy street.
Officers rescued Pearsall and the suspect before transporting them to the hospital for treatment, where the rookie's condition is listed as “serious but stable.”
The first-round draft pick had been signing autographs earlier in the afternoon before he was shot.
Pearsall was placed on the reserve/non-football injured list on Monday.
Pearsall's mother, Erin, said in a Facebook post that her son was “shot in the chest and the bullet exited through his back,” causing him to lose vital organs.
“He's really lucky,” she said.
He is expected to return for the team's Game 5 against the Cardinals on Oct. 6.
Pearsall was the 49ers' first-round pick (31st overall) in the June draft and played three years at Arizona State University and two years at the University of Florida.
With post wire
