Lawyer Argues Gunshot Wound to the Chest of Ricky Pearsall Was Not Attempted Murder

The attorney representing the 17-year-old charged with attempted murder for shooting 49ers first-round draft pick Ricky Pearsall in the chest during an attempted robbery earlier this month is arguing his client did not try to kill Pearsall.

“It was a rather extended struggle between Mr. Pearsall and my client,” said public defender Robert Dunlap via David Lombardi of TheAthletic.com. “They were really fighting back and forth on the sidewalk. As you might imagine, Mr. Pearsall gets the best of it. He does kind of — I don’t know if you’ve ever wrestled or not — a nice hip toss and throws my client to the ground and ends up on top of him. . . . I think [the video] supports that this is an attempted robbery and not an attempted murder.”

Dunlap also disputed a report that claimed his client had taken a gun to school.

“My client did not have a gun at school,” Dunlap said. “It’s a false report.”

While prosecutors have decided to charge Dunlap’s client with attempted murder, they have not yet decided whether to charge him as an adult. The next hearing is set for September 26.