Falcons' James Pearce Jr. Arrested After Domestic Dispute Involving WNBA Star Rickea Jackson
The rookie linebacker faces multiple felony charges after police responded to a reported incident in Miami-Dade County on Saturday night.
Atlanta Falcons linebacker James Pearce Jr. was arrested Saturday night in Florida following a reported domestic dispute involving WNBA star Rickea Jackson and a subsequent police chase.
Pearce was taken into custody in Miami-Dade County and booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, according to jail records. He faces two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, one count of aggravated stalking and one count of fleeing or eluding police with lights and siren.
The 22-year-old is accused of intentionally crashing his Lamborghini into his ex-girlfriend's car multiple times, trying to stop her from getting to a police station, according to Fox Sports South Florida's Andy Slater.
James Pearce Jr. has been arrested following a domestic incident with ex-girlfriend Rickea Jackson.
(Getty Images)
Doral police chief Edwin Lopez told South Florida's Local 10 News that officers were initially dispatched to investigate "a reported dispute between a male and female." Lopez confirmed that the woman involved in the incident was Jackson, a forward for the Los Angeles Sparks.
According to authorities, Pearce fled the scene before crashing his vehicle during a police chase. He was then arrested by police.
The Falcons acknowledged the arrest in a statement released Saturday.
"We are aware of an incident involving James Pearce Jr., in Miami," the team said. "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 by Atlanta with the No. 26 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and became one of the league's top defensive rookies during his first season. He recorded 10.5 sacks and finished third in voting for the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
James Pearce Jr. attends the 15th Annual NFL Honors at Palace Of Fine Arts on February 5, 2026, in San Francisco, California.
(Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
Jackson was selected by the Sparks with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She averaged 14.7 points per game across 38 games last season.
The two have previously been seen together publicly, including when Jackson attended the 2025 NFL Draft in support of Pearce. According to On3, Jackson confirmed the couple split in September.
As of Sunday morning, bond had not been set for the charges, and no additional details were immediately released by police.