Sgt. Joelle Harrell’s swift response to gunshots in Union Square led her to critically injured 49ers player Ricky Pearsall. The San Francisco police officer’s quick thinking and medical assistance potentially saved the football star’s life after an attempted robbery on Saturday.

Harrell heard gunshots and immediately ran towards the scene. She found Pearsall bleeding from chest and head wounds. “There was so much blood,” Harrell recalled. She applied pressure to his wounds using his shirt and her cap while calling for backup and an ambulance.

Pearsall, a first-round draft pick, had been shopping when a 17-year-old attempted to rob him. The sergeant kept him calm and focused on breathing. “You’re strong,” she told him. “Just focus on the breathing.”

Harrell, a devout Catholic, prayed for Pearsall as they waited for medical help. She reassured him when he asked if he would die, saying, “It wasn’t his time.”

The suspect was found nearby, matching Pearsall’s description of his assailant. Police later reported the teenager had also suffered a gunshot wound to his arm during the altercation.

This incident has raised concerns about crime in San Francisco, potentially impacting the ongoing mayoral race.

Read more at the San Francisco Chronicle