DORAL, Fla. — NFL linebacker James Pearce Jr., 22, was taken into custody on Saturday after fleeing a domestic dispute and crashing his vehicle during a police pursuit, reports Baltimore Chronicle via Local 10 News. According to Doral Police Chief Edwin Lopez, officers were first dispatched to a reported altercation between a man and a woman at the DPD headquarters.
Authorities stated that Pearce attempted to escape the scene, ultimately crashing at the intersection of Northwest 103rd Avenue and 66th Street, where he was arrested. The woman involved in the incident has been identified as WNBA player Rickea Jackson.
Court and jail records indicate Pearce faces two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, along with one count each of aggravated stalking and fleeing or eluding police while lights or sirens were active. He was booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, with his bond still pending.
Pearce, a first-round selection by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2025 NFL Draft, finished as the runner-up for Defensive Rookie of the Year. During his rookie season, he recorded 10.5 sacks, marking the highest total for a Falcons rookie since Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys in 2021.
The Falcons issued a statement regarding 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.”
Local 10 News has requested the full arrest report from the Doral Police Department, but additional details have not yet been released.
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