Atlanta Falcons standout edge rusher James Pearce Jr. was arrested Saturday evening in Doral, Florida, following a domestic dispute that escalated into a police chase. The 22-year-old faces multiple felony charges, including two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and aggravated stalking.
Doral Police responded to a domestic altercation at their headquarters involving Pearce and his girlfriend, WNBA Los Angeles Sparks forward Rickea Jackson, according to Police Chief Edwin Lopez. Pearce allegedly fled the scene in a vehicle, leading officers on a pursuit that ended when he crashed at Northwest 103rd Avenue and 66th Street.
The Falcons’ rookie was then taken into custody without further incident and booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center at 6:58 p.m. on February 7. Court records list additional charges, including fleeing and eluding police, aggravated battery on a law enforcement 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.
Pearce attended a Sparks game in December 2025, wearing Jackson’s high school jersey courtside.
Falcons React to James Pearce Jr.’s Arrest
According to NFL insider Mike Garafolo, the Atlanta Falcons issued a brief statement acknowledging 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,” Garafolo wrote.
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.
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