Falcons Star Rookie James Pearce Jr. Arrested Following Domestic Dispute and Police Chase in Miami

Atlanta Falcons linebacker James Pearce Jr. was arrested Saturday night following a reported domestic dispute that escalated into a police chase and vehicle crash.

Officers were initially dispatched to Doral Police Department headquarters in response to a reported dispute involving a male and a female. Police say Pearce, 22, fled the scene before officers could make contact.

Authorities later located Pearce, who crashed his vehicle near Northwest 103rd Avenue and 66th Street in Doral. He was taken into custody and placed in handcuffs at the scene.

The woman involved in the dispute was WNBA star Rickea Jackson.

According to jail records, Pearce is facing multiple serious charges, including two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, one count of aggravated stalking, and one count of fleeing or eluding police with lights or sirens activated. He was booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, and bond had not been set as of Saturday night.

Pearce was selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons and emerged as one of the league’s top defensive rookies this past season. He recorded 10.5 sacks during his rookie campaign, the most by a Falcons rookie since Micah Parsons accomplished the feat with the Dallas Cowboys in 2021. Pearce finished the season as the runner-up for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

The Falcons acknowledged the situation in a brief statement released Saturday:

“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.”

No additional details were immediately released, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Pearce’s legal situation could have significant implications for both his career and the Falcons organization as more information becomes available.