Former University of Tennessee football star Atlanta Falcons defensive end James Pierce has been charged with three felonies and one misdemeanor in Miami-Dade County stemming from a Feb. 7 domestic incident involving former Lady Vols star WNBA player Ricky Jackson.
On March 12, the Miami-Dade County Prosecutor’s Office in Florida filed charges charging him with misdemeanor charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, fleeing and evading police, resisting police with violence, and stalking.
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Pierce initially faced charges of aggravated assault on an officer and aggravated stalking. But those additional fees were withdrawn.
Pierce, 22, was arrested on February 7 in Doral, Florida. He crashed his vehicle during a police pursuit while fleeing a domestic dispute involving his ex-girlfriend Jackson, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by Knox News. He posted bail of $20,500.
In court documents, Ricky Jackson says ‘James will kill me’
Pierce was an All-SEC player at UT, a first-round pick by the Falcons and the 2025 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year runner-up. Jackson is an All-SEC player, a first-round pick of the Los Angeles Sparks and a member of the 2024 WNBA All-Rookie Team.
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Pierce and Jackson have been in a relationship before, including during their time together at Tennessee. But she told police their relationship had recently ended.
On March 11, Jackson filed a petition for protection against Pierce, saying “James will kill me” if the court does not intervene, ESPN reported citing court documents.
“Ending this relationship was difficult and I feared for my life due to his compulsive, insecure, violent and aggressive behavior,” Jackson said in the petition filed in Miami-Dade County Court. “James threatened to kill me, James threatened to harm me, James threatened to harm me, James threatened to put a bag over my head, and James was verbally and physically abusive to me.”
The court granted Jackson’s request for protection. A permanent injunction hearing is scheduled for April 21. Pierce was ordered not to contact Jackson or come within 500 feet of her home or work or within 100 feet of her vehicle.
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Jackson also filed a separate notice with the court on February 10 stating that she was “willing to testify” against Pierce, according to a court document obtained by Knox News.
What happened that led to the arrest of James Pierce
On Feb. 7, Jackson told police that Pierce was following her in a white Lamborghini SUV, according to a police report obtained by Knox News. At a red light, he got out of the car and tried to open her door.
Jackson drove away, heading to the Doral Police Department. She told police that Pierce followed, initially colliding with the back of her car and later hitting her car head-on as she tried to escape.
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Doral police responded to Jackson’s call for help. An officer pulled a gun on Pierce and ordered him to get on the ground. Instead, Pierce reentered the car and closed the door. An officer opened the door, but Pierce closed it again and drove off. His SUV struck a police officer’s knee while evading arrest.
Police said Pierce crashed his car and fled on foot. Police caught Pierce, but he resisted arrest.
Adam Sparks is a Tennessee football reporter. e-mail adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@adamsparks. Support strong local journalism with a subscription knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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This article originally appeared in the Knoxville News-Sentinel: James Pierce charged with felony; Rickey Jackson says he threatened her
