James Pearce Jr. and Rickea Jackson’s legal drama explained (Image via AP) Over the weekend, the Atlanta Falcons received shocking and extremely concerning news when rookie linebacker James Pearce Jr. was taken into custody in Miami-Dade County after what authorities said was a domestic altercation with Los Angeles Sparks player Rickea Jackson. According to ESPN, James Pearce Jr., a rookie with the Atlanta Falcons, was detained after allegedly getting into a domestic altercation with WNBA player Rickea Jackson. Following complaints of a domestic altercation between a man and a woman, Doral, Florida, police booked the 22-year-old NFL linebacker into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on Saturday, February 7. For background, somewhere within the past year, Jackson and James announced their relationship to the world.
James Pearce Jr. and WNBA star Rickea Jackson’s latest legal drama explained
Going forward, the arrest of WNBA players Rickea Jackson and James Pearce poses significant legal and league-wide issues. Since last year, there have been speculations that Jackson and Pearce were seeing each other. During the NFL draft, the WNBA player appeared to confirm it. When the Falcons selected Pearce at No. 26, she was with him and his family.Their relationship dates back to their time at the University of Tennessee. However, we can presume that Jackson is no longer seeing Pearce because she announced on her Snapchat last October that she is no longer in a relationship.According to TMZ Sports, Pearce and Rickea Jackson were allegedly involved in a fight in Miami when police were summoned. When the police arrived, Pearce allegedly got into his car and drove off, which sparked a pursuit.According to reports, Pearce crashed his car after eluding the cops. Two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, one case of aggravated stalking, and one offense of evading or avoiding police by using lights or sirens are the charges against him. At the time of his arrest, he had no set bond.The event has immediately generated severe concerns about Pearce’s future in the NFL and clouded one of the most promising young defensive careers in the league. ESPN reports that authorities were called about a domestic dispute between a man and a woman on Saturday night and were sent out. Authorities subsequently verified that the parties were Jackson, 24, and Pearce, 22, who had admitted their connection in public last year.
Atlanta Falcons respond as James Pearce Jr. faces serious charges following Miami arrest
In a statement to the media, the Atlanta Falcons addressed the matter. The statement read:“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.”According to police, Pearce left the scene before they could stop him, which resulted in a fast-paced chase across Miami-Dade County. Pearce was arrested and sent to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center after he crashed his car close to Northwest 103rd Avenue and 66th Street, ending the chase.Pearce is facing serious allegations. According to jail records, the defendant faces charges of evading or escaping law enforcement, one case of aggravated stalking, and two counts of aggravated violence with a deadly weapon. Pearce allegedly hit a police officer during the pursuit, according to the authorities. The fact that no bond had been established as of Sunday highlights how serious the matter is and how far the judicial process will go.