San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel has warned fans against secretly recording NFL players in public after speaking openly about the dangers of doing so.
Samuel’s impassioned plea comes just days after his new 49ers teammate and fellow receiver, Ricky Pearsall, was shot in downtown San Francisco on Saturday night.
Pearsall, the 23-year-old rookie selected by the Niners in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft, was shot in the chest after his Rolex watch was stolen in the city’s Union Square area. He was rushed to the hospital before being released Sunday.
In light of the shocking incident, Samuel claimed football fans are putting players in danger by filming them going about their daily lives without consent, urging them to “think about the person they are filming” in a video message on Instagram.
49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel warned fans not to secretly record NFL players in public
Samuel’s impassioned plea comes just days after his new 49ers teammate and fellow wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was shot in downtown San Francisco on Saturday night.
“I don’t think you guys really know how dangerous it is to film people eating and post it,” the 28-year-old said. “Do you really think it’s safe to do this?”
‘Start thinking about the person you’re recording, think about their privacy, think about their well-being, because at any moment anyone can show up and… this world is not that big. Anyone can show up and do whatever they want.
‘I just advise you to respect people’s privacy.’
Deebo, who is about to enter his sixth season with the Niners after being selected in the second round of the 2019 draft, pleaded with the public to politely ask for photos instead of recording them from afar.
“Come up and ask for a photo politely,” she continued. “Say something like, ‘Excuse me, I know you’re eating (but) would you mind taking a photo?’ Something like that, don’t try to just hide (and) record.”
“There are too many things going on in the world, too many things, and you don’t know what people’s intentions are.”
Pearsall was released from the hospital after being shot for his Rolex watch.
Samuel claims fans are endangering NFL players by filming them from afar in public
A 17-year-old suspect is believed to have tried to rob Pearsall of his Rolex watch before a fight broke out and both were shot in Union Square.
Police immediately arrested the suspect, who was not wearing shoes after losing them at the scene of the attack. The suspect remained in custody as of Monday evening and could face possible charges this week.
After being released from the hospital, a San Francisco police sergeant revealed Pearsall’s heartbreaking first words after he was shot Saturday.
Through NBC Bay AreaSergeant Joelle Harrell said: “He looked at me and said, ‘Am I going to die?’ I said, ‘No.'”
‘I took my hat off because I wanted to make eye contact with him. I wanted him to listen to me. I said, “Listen, look at me. I know you don’t know me, but I want you to trust me. It’s not your time.”
