What happened: On August 31, San Francisco 49ers player Ricky Pearsall was shot during an attempted robbery in San Francisco. San Francisco Police Department Sergeant Joel Harrell, who was nearby, heard the gunfire and immediately responded. Without knowing Pearsall’s identity as a football player, Sergeant Harrell applied lifesaving first aid, stabilizing Pearsall and preventing what could have been a fatal outcome. Thanks to Harrell’s actions, Pearsall recovered and has since returned to playing for the 49ers.
Highlights
Watch as Ed Bauter, MBA, MHL, NRP, FP-C, CCP-C; and Daniel Schwester, MICP, highlight the significance of this development, including:
- Importance of basic trauma response skills. Sergeant Harrell’s quick application of direct pressure to critical injuries showcased the lifesaving value of Stop the Bleed training.
- Community preparedness for emergencies. This incident highlights how anyone, trained or not, can save lives by knowing essential response techniques like CPR, tourniquet application and AED use.
- Positive outcomes from immediate intervention. Pearsall’s injuries were severe, but due to timely intervention, he avoided catastrophic harm – a powerful example of how prompt action can defy the odds.
The path forward
Sergeant Harrell’s intervention shows the life-saving potential when police officers or civilians are prepared to respond to emergencies. This case reinforces the need for more accessible training on emergency skills, from bleeding control to CPR, as everyday bystanders can make a difference in traumatic situations. Promoting these skills broadly within the community could improve survival rates and help prevent tragedies.
EMS1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors.
