A former Millikan High School football standout and Oregon Ducks wide receiver has been sentenced to two years of probation for pistol-whipping a man last Christmas in Long Beach.
Ryan Pellum, 19, pleaded no contest on June 13 to one count of aggravated assault using a semi-automatic firearm, according to court records. With the plea, prosecutors agreed to dismiss two special allegations that would have added to his potential sentence.
As part of his probation, he must forfeit any firearms registered to him, complete a 52-week anger management course and log 100 hours of community service, according to court records.
The charges stemmed from an incident late on Christmas night in East Long Beach that sent a man to the hospital.
Authorities alleged the attack happened around 11:19 p.m. on Dec. 25, 2024, on Stanbridge Avenue between Wardlow and Monlaco roads, which is near Wardlow Park, according to the Long Beach Police Department.
Police said Pellum and the victim were in a dispute that escalated into the pistol-whipping.
The victim told police that he played football with Pellum at Millikan and believed Pellum was mad at him for a social media post that showed the victim hanging out with the mother of Pellum’s child.
When officers contacted him at the hospital, he had a roughly one-inch laceration on his head that required stitches, according to court records.
The victim also told police that he heard two gunshots fired in an unknown direction as he ran away, according to court records.
As part of Pellum’s plea, Judge Judith Meyer also dismissed a charge of willfully discharging a firearm in a grossly negligent manner.
The former Millikan wideout played in one game during his freshman year at the University of Oregon. He entered the NCAA transfer portal in January, indicating his intention to leave the football program.
Pellum caught 66 passes for 991 yards and 14 touchdowns in his senior season at Millikan. His older brother, Romeo Pellum, is the head coach of Millikan football.