Atlanta Falcons rookie James Pearce Jr. has been arrested in Florida on multiple felony charges, including aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated stalking, and aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer, according to a criminal complaint obtained by ESPN. The incident allegedly involved WNBA player Rickea Jackson and a subsequent evasion of arrest where Pearce's vehicle struck a police officer. Pearce was taken into custody on Saturday but was released Sunday night after posting a $20,500 bond from the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

Rickea Jackson, a player for the Los Angeles Sparks, provided details of the alleged events to the police. She reported seeing Pearce following her in a white Lamborghini SUV on Saturday morning. When her car stopped at a red light, Pearce reportedly got out of his vehicle and attempted to open her driver's side car door. Jackson stated she accelerated away, driving towards the Doral (Florida) Police Department, with Pearce reentering his SUV and continuing to follow her. During this pursuit, Jackson claimed Pearce "intentionally collided into the rear of her vehicle" with his SUV. As she approached an intersection near the police station, Jackson further alleged that Pearce cut her off with his car, and when she tried to back away, he used his vehicle to collide with hers head-on. The affidavit confirmed Jackson's account, noting that photographs of her vehicle showed damage consistent with her statements.

Doral police officers responded to Jackson's call at the scene. According to the affidavit, officers found Pearce standing outside his SUV with the driver's door open. When an officer drew a gun and ordered Pearce to get on the floor, Pearce reportedly reentered his car, closed the door, locked it, and drove away. During his departure, Pearce's SUV allegedly struck an officer in the left knee. The affidavit explicitly described this as an intentional act to evade arrest. Police pursued Pearce's vehicle until he crashed at an intersection, after which he fled on foot. Officers were able to apprehend him despite Pearce reportedly resisting arrest by tensing his arms. Pearce was subsequently "triaged on scene" and transported to Jackson West Medical Center for further assessment before being held in custody.

Pearce is facing serious charges, including two felony counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, a felony count of aggravated stalking, felony counts of fleeing and eluding police officers, and aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer. He also faces a misdemeanor charge of resisting an officer without violence. Pearce's legal team, comprising Jacob Nunez, Yale Sanford, and Joshua Cohen, issued a statement asserting his innocence and expressing their commitment to working with the State Attorney's Office to uncover the truth. They emphasized that allegations do not represent the full story and expressed confidence in his continued positive contributions to his team and community.

The background to the incident reveals that Jackson and Pearce had dated for approximately three years before recently ending their relationship. Jackson told police she had blocked Pearce's phone number, but he reportedly used an alternate number to send her text messages. A text from Jackson to Pearce on Friday afternoon explicitly told him to leave her alone and that she wanted nothing to do with him; however, Pearce's text messages allegedly continued through Friday into Saturday morning, which Jackson showed to the police. The NFL spokesperson, Brian McCarthy, stated that the league is in contact with the Falcons and that the matter will be reviewed under the personal conduct policy. The Falcons themselves released a statement on Saturday night, indicating they were "gathering more information." Professionally, Pearce had a notable rookie season in 2025, finishing third in AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year voting and setting a Falcons rookie record with a team-leading 10.5 sacks.