Atlanta Falcons rookie James Pearce Jr. was arrested Saturday on a litany of domestic violence-related charges, according to Miami-Dade County jail records.
Pearce faces two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon as well as aggravated stalking, fleeing or eluding police with lights or siren, aggravated battery involving a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer without violence to his person. He was booked at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with no bond currently set.
According to Local10.com, Doral police chief Edwin Lopez said the alleged victim in the case is Los Angeles Sparks star Rickea Jackson. Pearce and Jackson went to Tennessee together and were previously known to be in a relationship.
Pearce was reportedly arrested officers were dispatched for a dispute between a male and female. Pearce is reported to have allegedly fled the scene and crashed his vehicle during a police chase. There is video on social media that appears to show his arrest, in which seven officers can be seen wrestling him to the ground and putting him in handcuffs.
The Falcons released a statement confirming they are aware of the incident:
“We are aware of an incident involving James Pearce Jr., in Miami. We are in the process of gathering more information and will not have any further comment on an open legal matter at this time.”
Pearce was selected 26th overall by the Falcons in the 2025 NFL Draft after two first-team All-SEC seasons with the Volunteers. He posted 26 combined tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks in his rookie year.
Jackson, who received a fifth-place vote for WNBA MVP last season, has been playing for Unrivaled’s Breeze for the past few weeks. Her team played Friday in the town of Medley, Florida, located in Miami-Dade County.