Atlanta Falcons rookie James Pearce Jr has been granted bond after appearing before a judge in the wake of his shocking arrest on Saturday.
Pearce, 22, is facing charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon (two counts), aggravated stalking and fleeing/eluding police after getting into a domestic dispute with WNBA-star girlfriend Rickea Jackson in Miami and crashing his car on a resulting police chase.
Concerning footage later emerged on social media of six police officers pinning him to the ground while trying to detain him after the crash.
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.
And according to NBC Miami, the Falcons linebacker’s bond was set at $20,500 by a judge on Sunday.
Atlanta Falcons rookie James Pearce Jr has been granted bond after his arrest on Saturday
During his court appearance, Pearce’s attorney argued that his client should be given bond in Miami because he is an NFL player who lives in Georgia, a notion which was dismissed by the judge.
‘It doesn’t matter what his employment is,’ the judge said. ‘I’m sorry, I don’t think you understand. I have no care about what his employment is, OK. I have an individual charged with a crime.’
As well as granting a $20,500 bond, the judge also ordered Pearce to stay away from Jackson. His attorneys insisted he will do exactly that.
