Atlanta Falcons edge rusher James Pearce Jr. was arrested on Saturday in Doral, Florida, following a domestic dispute that escalated into a police chase. The 22-year-old now faces multiple felony charges, including two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and aggravated stalking.
Doral Police Chief Edwin Lopez said officers responded to a reported domestic incident involving Pearce and his girlfriend, Los Angeles Sparks forward Rickea Jackson, at police headquarters. Investigators allege Pearce left the location in his vehicle, leading officers on a pursuit that ended when he crashed near the intersection of Northwest 103rd Avenue and 66th Street.
According to NFL insider Andy Slater, the rookie had his first hearing from a jail cell.
“JUST NOW: James Pearce Jr. made his first court appearance while in a jail cell,” Slater wrote. “The judge issued the Atlanta Falcons linebacker a total bond of $20,500 and a stay-away order from the alleged victim.”
More concerning information surfaced hours after the arrest. NFL insider Andy Slater reported that Pearce Jr. allegedly drove his vehicle into a police officer during the incident and narrowly avoided being shot, as the officer had his weapon drawn.
A senior law enforcement source reportedly told Slater that the Falcons defender was “lucky to be alive,” as the police officer had drawn his gun because Pearce Jr. was allegedly refusing to follow commands at the scene.
The rookie linebacker is accused of deliberately ramming his Lamborghini into his ex-girlfriend’s vehicle multiple times in an attempt to prevent Jackson from reaching a police station.
Pearce was taken into custody without further incident and booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center at 6:58 p.m. on February 7. Court records list additional charges, including fleeing and eluding law enforcement, aggravated battery on a police officer, and resisting an officer without violence.
James Pearce Jr.’s Relationship
James Pearce Jr. and Rickea Jackson’s relationship began during their time at the University of Tennessee, where both competed as Volunteers athletes from 2022 to 2024. Speculation first surfaced during Jackson’s No. 1 overall 2024 WNBA Draft selection by the Los Angeles Sparks.
The couple went public at Pearce’s 2025 NFL Draft watch party in Charlotte, North Carolina, on April 24, 2025, when ESPN cameras captured Jackson rubbing his leg affectionately moments after the Falcons traded up to select him 26th overall, igniting fan excitement over the power couple.
Throughout the summer of 2025, their bond appeared strong. In a May Falcons Q&A, Pearce named Jackson his favorite athlete growing up, a comment she called “cute” in response. By July, Jackson gushed about his “very intimidating” on-field presence ahead of Pearce’s rookie season.
James Pearce Jr.’s NFL Career
Pearce Jr. was selected 26th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons after trading up with the Rams. In his rookie year, he led all first-year players with 10.5 sacks, most since Micah Parsons in 2024, while adding 26 tackles (17 solo), 10 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and five passes defended across 17 games.
The 6-5, 243-pound pass rusher finished third in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. However, many believe his NFL career might be over.
