Following his arrest on Saturday, Falcons rookie James Pearce Jr. has been released from custody but still faces charges for five felonies and a misdemeanor, following what police are calling a domestic dispute with WNBA player Rickea Jackson.
Pearce, 22, posted bond of $20,500, according to Miami-Dade County court records, and he was released from the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on Sunday. He also was given a pretrial conditional stay-away order from Jackson, 24, who plays for the Los Angeles Sparks.
The Falcons edge rusher is charged with two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and aggravated stalking, all with a domestic violence designation, according to court records. He also is charged with aggravated battery against a law enforcement officer, fleeing and eluding police, and a misdemeanor charge of “resisting arrest without violence to his person.”
According to a report by South Florida’s WPLG-TV, Doral Police Chief Edwin Lopez said Saturday that the incident stemmed from an alleged domestic dispute between Pearce and Jackson, and that Pearce led police on a chase before crashing his vehicle.
The Falcons released a team statement Saturday: “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.”
Pearce led the Falcons with 10½ sacks this season. He was taken with the 26th overall pick in the 2025 draft. The Falcons sent their 2026 first-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams for the opportunity to select Pearce.
He finished third in voting for defensive rookie of the year after helping the Falcons set a franchise record with 57 sacks.
Following the season, the Falcons revamped their front office, adding Matt Ryan as president of football and Ian Cunningham as general manager, along with a new head coach, Kevin Stefanski.
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