NFL first-round pick James Pearce arrested for aggravated battery and stalking of WNBA star girlfriend after wild police chase ended in crash
Star NFL linebacker James Pearce Jr is behind bars in Florida after fleeing a domestic dispute with his WNBA star girlfriend and crashing his car while being chased down by police.
The Atlanta Falcons rookie, 23, was arrested on charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon (two counts), aggravated stalking and fleeing/eluding police in Doral County.
Local 10 News first reported the news of the arrest, which occurred after a dispute between Pearce and his WNBA star girlfriend Rickea Jackson, who is currently playing for the Breeze in Unrivaled, based in Miami.
Doral Police Chief Edwin Lopez confirmed the identity of both parties involved, with Pearce fleeing and later crashing at Northwest 103rd Avenue and 66th Street, before being cuffed and taken to jail.
Concerning footage that later emerged on social media showed six police officers pinning Pearce Jr to the ground while they tried to detain him after the crash.
A second clip then shows him cuffed against the back of a police car, before being guided into the back seat to be taken to jail.
Police records seen by the Daily Mail show that Pearce Jr – a 6-foot-5, 230lb NFL linebacker – was booked at 6:58pm EST on Saturday night.
More to follow.
