Atlanta Falcons rookie James Pierce is facing multiple domestic violence charges and is ordered to stay away from the victim who is a WNBA star.
Atlanta Falcons rookie edge rusher James Pearce Jr. was arrested in Florida on five felony charges on Saturday, including aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated stalking and aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer. He allegedly crashed his car into a vehicle being driven by WNBA star Rickea Jackson, who is a forward for the Los Angeles Sparks, and proceeded to strike a police officer while evading arrest. He posted his $20.5k bond and was released on Sunday night after appearing in Miami-Dade bond court via Zoom. Circuit Judge Jacqueline Woodward issued a pre-trial domestic violence stay-away order, which requires Pearce to remain at least 500 feet from Jackson’s residence and to have no contact with her.
Jackson told police that she saw Pearce following her in a white Lamborghini SUV on Saturday morning, after which he exited his vehicle and attempted to open her car from the driver’s side at a red light. Jackson fled to the Doral Florida Police Department with Pearce allegedly in pursuit, and she told officers he "intentionally collided into the rear of her vehicle" with his SUV. He cut her off at the intersection near the station and collided with hers head-on when she attempted to reverse and back away. Officers responded to the scene, where Pearce got back in his car despite orders and drove it away, during which he struck an officer with his SUV in his left knee. Police pursued Pearce until he crashed at an intersection, after which he fled by foot and “began to resist arrest by tensing his arms.”
Here is the full story from WNBA writer Nitish Singh on the domestic violence incident and the court orders for Pearce to stay away from Jackson.
Jackson informed police that the two dated for about three years, but the relationship recently ended. Despite blocking his phone number, he found alternative numbers to text her. She texted Pearce Friday asking him to leave her alone, but he persisted in his contact attempts into Saturday morning, when the incident allegedly occurred. The Falcons, for now, only issued a statement saying they were “gathering more information.”