Cop to Shot NFL Player: 'Be Strong, Like You're on the Field'

The man who shot and injured San Francisco 49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall in a daylight attempted robbery on Saturday was after his Rolex, police say. After an autograph session at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California, Pearsall had visited a "luxury" store near Geary Street and Grant Avenue and was just returning to a parked Tesla when the 17-year-old suspect "spotted him for his expensive watch," police Sgt. Frank Harrell said Sunday, per the San Francisco Chronicle. There's no evidence Pearsall, a wide receiver and first-round draft pick, was targeted as an NFL player, said San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott.

Both individuals were shot in a struggle. A bullet entered the right side of Pearsall's chest but missed all vital organs before exiting his back, his mother, Erin Pearsall, said in a statement. Seen walking to an ambulance, Pearsall was admitted to the hospital in serious but stable condition before his release on Sunday, per USA Today. "He is extremely lucky, GOD shielded him," Erin Pearsall wrote on Facebook, per ABC News. Harrell's wife, Sgt. Joelle Harrell, was among the first on the scene Saturday afternoon. Her husband said she put pressure to the 23-year-old's wounds, telling him, "Be strong, like you're on the field," per the Chronicle.

"He listened," Joelle Harrell tells the Chronicle, adding that Pearsall was able to inform police in which direction his attacker fled, leading to the suspect's arrest. "We cannot and will not tolerate senseless crime in San Francisco, and my office will ensure that there is accountability," said San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, whose office will decide what criminal charges to bring against the juvenile suspect from Tracy, California, who was also hospitalized. A decision is expected by Tuesday or Wednesday. (More San Francisco 49ers stories.)