Atlanta Falcons defensive end James Pearce Jr. was arrested by Florida police on Saturday after a domestic violence incident with Los Angeles Sparks player Rickea Jackson.
Pearce was arrested in Miami-Dade County on two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one count of aggravated harassment. He was also charged with fleeing and eluding police, assaulting a law enforcement officer, and resisting a police officer without physical violence.
According to online records, Pearce was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center at 6:58 p.m. Saturday.
Dora Police Chief Edwin Lopez said the alleged dispute was between Pearce and Jackson. Lopez mentioned that Pearce was arrested after fleeing. He crashed his vehicle during a chase with police.
Jackson was drafted fourth overall in the 2024 WNBA draft and scored 14.7 points per game in the 2025 season.
For his part, Pearce has just concluded his first season in the NFL. The 22-year-old defensive player finished third in the voting for Rookie of the Year. Pearce finished the campaign with 10.5 sacks in 17 games.
“We are aware of an incident involving James Pearce Jr. in Miami,” the Falcons said in a statement.
“We are gathering more information and will not make any further comment on an ongoing legal matter at this time.”
Related reading
