Bodycam video shows police chase, arrest of star Falcons' linebacker James Pearce Jr.
By: -----
Atlanta, GA - Newly-released body camera footage shows the moments leading up to the February arrest of Atlanta Falcons linebacker James Pearce Jr. following a domestic dispute in Florida involving his ex-girlfriend, WNBA player Rickea Jackson.
Pearce was arrested after the incident and later agreed to participate in a pre-trial intervention program, allowing him to avoid a trial on three felony charges.
The body camera video begins with Pearce standing outside his vehicle with his hands raised as an officer approaches with a drawn firearm. After the audio begins recording, the encounter quickly becomes tense.
The officer yells at Pearce to "get on the floor" as he is standing outside of his white Lamborghini.
“I’m not moving nowhere,” Pearce repeatedly tells the officer after being instructed to get on the ground.
The officer is heard yelling at Pearce numerous times to "get the f*** out of the car."
Pearce also tells the officer not to touch him before getting back inside the vehicle and shutting the driver's door. The officer repeatedly orders him to exit the car, but he refuses.
After lowering the driver's side window, Pearce tells the officer he cannot get out because he had previously told Jackson she was no longer allowed to drive his vehicle.
During the exchange, an officer questions Pearce about reports that the two had been ramming their vehicles into one another. As the conversation continues, officers repeatedly instruct Pearce to step out of the vehicle.
Instead, Pearce is then seen driving away, triggering a pursuit involving several patrol units. The initial warrant revealed that Pearce "struck (the officer) in the area of his left knee intentionally in an attempt to evade arrest." The bodycam video does not make that allegation clear, however, the officer does radio that he was struck while pursuing Pearce.
According to the arrest report, the chase ended after Pearce crashed his vehicle. In the bodycam video, the officer who had the initial encounter with Pearce gets out of his patrol car and runs at Pearce, tackling him to the ground.
Pearce is then heard struggling with other officers before being taken into custody.
Pearce has since returned to the Falcons and participated in the team's organized team activities earlier this month.