James Pearce Jr. of the Falcons was arrested after an alleged domestic dispute

ATLANTA — Atlanta Falcons rookie star James Pearce Jr. was arrested near Miami on Saturday night after fleeing from officers and then crashing her car following what police said was a domestic dispute with WNBA player Rickea Jackson.

Pearce, a first-round draft pick who led the Falcons in sacks and was third in NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center after Doral police were called to investigate a report of a domestic dispute between a man and a woman.

According to jail records, Pearce faces charges of two counts of assault with a deadly weapon as well as stalking and fleeing or evading police with lights or sirens. Bond was not immediately charged with all charges.

The Falcons said in a statement that they were aware of the arrest.

“We are aware of an incident involving James Pearce Jr. in Miami,” the Falcons said in a statement provided to The Associated Press. “We are in the process of gathering more information and will not provide any further comment regarding any open legal matters at this time.”

WPLG TV in Miami reported Doral Police Chief Edwin Lopez confirmed the altercation occurred between Pearce and Jackson, a forward for the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks. Jackson was the No. 1 overall pick. 4 in the 2024 WNBA draft and averaged 14.7 points in 38 games, including 37 starts, in the 2025 season. Jackson played for Tennessee and Mississippi State.

Pearce, an edge rusher from Tennessee, was the No. 1 overall pick. 26 in the 2025 NFL draft as the Falcons emphasize pass speed. Pearce had 10 1/2 sacks and his 45 quarterback pressures set a team record for a rookie. Pearce had 26 tackles and 16 quarterback hits. He forced his fumbles and recovered his fumbles while playing in all 17 games.

The Falcons finished 8-9, leading to the firing of coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot. The Falcons hired Kevin Stefanski as coach and Ian Cunningham as general manager.