NFL linebacker James Pearce Jr., 22, arrested after alleged domestic dispute involving WNBA player Rickea Jackson, 24

NFL linebacker James Pearce Jr. was arrested Saturday night following an alleged domestic dispute involving WNBA star Rickea Jackson, according to Doral Police Chief Edwin Lopez.

Local reports indicate officers were initially called to Doral Police Department headquarters in response to a reported altercation between a man and a woman. Authorities say Pearce later fled the scene, leading police on a pursuit that ended when he crashed his vehicle near Northwest 103rd Avenue and 66th Street. He was taken into custody at the scene.

Chief Lopez confirmed to Local 10 News that the woman involved in the incident was Rickea Jackson, a player in the Women’s National Basketball Association.

Jail records show Pearce is facing two charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, along with one count of aggravated stalking and one count of fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement with lights or sirens activated.

Pearce was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Bond information has not yet been released, and no further details have been made public.

NFL star James Pearce Jr. has been arrested after fleeing a domestic dispute and crashing his car during a police chase. Photo by Getty Images. | Getty Images

Pearce was selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons and finished as the runner-up for Defensive Rookie of the Year. He recorded 10.5 sacks during his rookie season, the most by a Falcons rookie since Micah Parsons accomplished the feat with the Dallas Cowboys in 2021.

In a statement, the Falcons said: “We are aware of an incident involving James Pearce Jr. in Miami. We are currently gathering more information and will not comment further on an ongoing legal matter at this time.”