Sgt. Joelle Harrell by Sergio Quintana video screengrab / X (Left), Ricky Pearsall (@ricky.pearsall) / Instagram (Right)
CV NEWS FEED // The San Francisco Chronicle recently highlighted that a Catholic policewoman’s actions may have saved an NFL player’s life after he was shot.
The September 2 article explained that Sgt. Joelle Harrell came to the aid of Ricky Pearsall, the first-round draft pick for the San Francisco 49ers, after Pearsall was shot during an attempted robbery on August 31.
The Chronicle described Harrell as “a devout Catholic.” While they waited for the ambulance, Harrell started praying, and assuring Pearsall that he wasn’t going to die. She also told him to focus on breathing.
The Associated Press (AP) reports that Harrell was the first officer on the scene. Pearsall had been shot in the chest, at close range, in an attempted robbery by a 17-year-old while the football player was returning to his car after shopping at luxury stores in Union Square. Pearsall’s mother, Erin, shared on social media that the bullet went through him without hitting any vital organs. Harrell used her baseball cap and Pearsall’s shirt to stop the bleeding until an ambulance arrived.
Pearsall was released from the hospital on September 1, and he returned to the team facility on Monday. He is now on a non-football injury list.
According to San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, AP reported, the teenager this week was charged with attempted murder, assault with a semiautomatic weapon, and attempted second-degree robbery.
