DORAL, Fla. – NFL star linebacker James Pearce Jr. was arrested Saturday after fleeing a domestic dispute and crashing his vehicle during a police chase, according to Doral Police Chief Edwin Lopez and News 6 partner Local 10 News.
Officers were initially dispatched to DPD headquarters for a reported dispute between a male and female.
Police said Pearce, 22, fled the scene and later crashed at Northwest 103rd Avenue and 66th Street before being placed in handcuffs.
Lopez confirmed with Local 10 News that the woman in the dispute was WNBA star Rickea Jackson.
Jail records show Pearce is facing two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and one count each of aggravated stalking and fleeing or eluding police with lights or sirens.
Pearce was booked at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, with his bond yet to be set as of Saturday night.
He was picked in the first round by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2025 NFL Draft, and the runner-up for Defensive rookie of the year.
Pearce had 10.5 sacks during his rookie year, the most by a Falcons rookie since Micah Parsons (Dallas Cowboys) in 2021.
Local 10 News has requested his arrest report from DPD and no other information was immediately released.
The Falcons released the following statement:
“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.”