Over the weekend, Ravens running back Bernard Pierce was home in Philadelphia, but certainly wasn’t shown any brotherly love.
CBS 3 reported that Pierce and another individual were victims of a carjacking, being held at gunpoint and robbed of their wallets, cell phones and Pierce’s recently purchased BMW. Luckily, Pierce and his friend were unharmed, only left shaken by what had happened.
Tammy Pierce, Bernard’s mother, spoke with CBS 3 and said she believed that her son was targeted because people around his hometown know who he is. She is disappointed that her son’s football celebrity possibly put him in danger.
The suspects in the case remain at large but Pierce’s car was later found in Philadelphia and has been processed for evidence.
This is the second crime against a member of the Ravens backfield during the offseason. Last month, Ray Rice’s house was broken into, as the perpetrator stole two guns and cash from the star running back’s home. Rice was also unharmed as he was not home at the time but like Pierce, was likely targeted due to his wealth and celebrity.
Unfortunately for athletes, these instances are becoming all too familiar. Earlier this month, Steelers offensive tackle Mike Adams was stabbed once in the stomach and another time in the left forearm as he tried to stop three men from stealing his truck following a night out in the South Side of Pittsburgh.
In addition to being threatened with a knife, Adams also had a gun pointed at his face. According to the police report, Adams questioned the gun wielding carjacker saying, “You aren’t going to shoot me in the street in front of people.” The crook then replied, “I want your car. I’ll shoot you in the face and kill you in front of everyone!”
Thankfully for Pierce, it doesn’t appear that he or his friend challenged the carjackers as they realized that their lives were more important than a vehicle. For anyone involved as a victim in these situations, hopefully they learn from Adams’ mistake so they can walk away unharmed as Pierce did on Sunday evening.
