NFL player might have charges dropped in Doral domestic dispute with WNBA star
Atlanta Falcons defensive end James Pearce Jr. agreed Thursday to a six-month intervention program that might result in a dismissal of criminal charges stemming from a dispute with his ex-girlfriend, WNBA star Rickea Jackson.
Pearce, 22, is accused of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding police, resisting an officer with violence and stalking in connection with the Feb. 7 incident in Doral. But those charges will be dismissed provided Pearce completes the program without issues, according to Ed Griffith, a Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office spokesman.
Jackson told Doral police that Pearce stalked her and crashed his Lamborghini SUV into the rear of her car while she was inside, according to an arrest affidavit. She had texted Pearce the day prior to “leave her alone and stated she wanted nothing to do with him.” When Pearce fled from police in his car, he allegedly “intentionally” hit an officer in the left knee.
Officers and Jackson consented to Thursday’s agreement and “that this was the best way forward,” Griffith told the Miami Herald via email. Pearce is a first-time offender with no history of violence, Griffith added.
“Thankfully, nobody was hurt, and it appears that this incident was borne out of a mental health crisis,” Griffith wrote.
Pearce’s attorney showed early on the affirmative steps that Pearce was taking in addressing his mental-health issues after his arrest, Griffith said. As part of Pearce’s pre-trial intervention program, he will have to continue with his treatment plan, submit to random drug testing and write a letter of apology to law enforcement.
If he fails or misses the court-ordered drug testing or the NFL’s drug testing, he will be dropped from the program, according to Griffith.
Pearce is scheduled to appear May 7 in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, records show. His attorney, Joshua Cohen, declined to comment.
This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 8:44 PM.
