James Pearce Jr., the Atlanta Falcons’ rookie star, was taken into custody near Miami on Saturday night. The police mentioned he attempted to evade officers and ultimately crashed his car. Reports also indicated the incident followed a domestic dispute with WNBA player Rickea Jackson, as confirmed by Doral Police Chief Edwin Lopez. Jackson and Pearce were allegedly a couple but split in early September, as per reports.

Following the response by Doral police to a reported domestic disturbance between a man and a woman, Pearce was taken into custody and booked at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center at 6:58 PM. However, the player had attempted to get away from the cops initially. After allegedly leaving the scene of the dispute, Pearce attempted to escape from officers and crashed his car during the chase at Northwest 103rd Avenue and 66th Street before being placed in handcuffs.

As per talk show host Andy Slater, Pearce also drove his car into an officer’s knee while trying to get away.

“SLATER SCOOP: Pearce Jr. also intentionally drove into a police officer, hitting the cop’s knee in an effort to get away, I’m told The Atlanta Falcons linebacker is ‘lucky to be alive’ after that, a high-ranking police source tells me,” he wrote on X.

Based on jail records, Pearce has been hit with two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, in addition to charges for aggravated stalking and fleeing or eluding law enforcement with lights or sirens activated. Not all of the charges had an immediate bond set.

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After reports of his arrest were published on the internet, the Falcons were quick to release a statement. Reporter Mike Garafolo shared it.

“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.”

The Falcons selected Pearce in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he quickly became one of the league’s most disruptive defenders. In fact, he finished as the runner-up for Defensive Rookie of the Year after posting 10.5 sacks, the most by a rookie since Micah Parsons did it in 2024.

So, while the franchise will look into this matter, this is not the first time Pearce’s name has appeared in police reports.

December 2023: James Pearce Jr. was arrested during a traffic stop

According to police records from back in 2023, Knoxville, Tenn., officers clocked Pearce going 63 mph in a 35 mph zone, and his vehicle carried an expired North Carolina temporary tag. Once they stopped him, authorities determined he was driving on a suspended North Carolina license.

Officers had to repeatedly order Pearce to exit his vehicle when he was stopped. Once the car was being prepared for towing, he was instructed to stand at the front of a police cruiser with assisting officers. Instead, Pearce started walking back toward his car, prompting officers to detain him without incident. He was subsequently arrested, and his vehicle was impounded.

Pearce initially faced citations for speeding, driving with a suspended license, failing to provide insurance, improperly displaying registration, and improper window tint. However, those charges were dismissed a week later after he paid the required court fees and showed that he had secured a valid driver’s license.

A spokesperson for the Tennessee university later released a statement: “We are aware of the incident involving James Pearce Jr., and we are awaiting more information.”

That episode became a major red flag for NFL scouts weighing whether Pearce was worth the risk on draft day. Several teams reportedly went as far as removing him from their draft boards because of off-field issues. Yet when Pearce was later questioned about those concerns at that time, he maintained that he didn’t even know what teams were referring to.

Now, with another incident unfolding, all eyes are on how this latest chapter plays out.