Atlanta Falcons edge rusher James Pearce Jr. has been formally charged with four counts by the Miami-Dade (Florida) State Attorney, stemming from a February 7 incident involving WNBA player Rickea Jackson, according to recent court documents. Pearce, 22, now faces three felony charges: aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding police, and resisting an officer with violence to his or her person. An initial felony arrest charge of aggravated stalking was subsequently reduced to a misdemeanor, while a charge of aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer was entirely dropped.

The incident on February 7 reportedly involved Pearce allegedly following Jackson, his ex-girlfriend, and repeatedly using his vehicle to collide with hers as she attempted to drive to the Doral (Florida) police station. Upon being confronted by a police officer, Pearce is accused of fleeing in his vehicle, leading law enforcement on a chase that concluded with a crash at an intersection. He then allegedly fled the vehicle on foot before being subdued and subsequently resisted arrest by officers.

Following his arrest, Pearce spent a night incarcerated at a county correctional center before securing his release on February 8 after posting a $20,500 bond. In the wake of these events, Rickea Jackson, who plays for the Los Angeles Sparks, took legal action by filing an injunction for a protective order against Pearce in Miami-Dade County on February 9, seeking immediate court intervention for her safety.

In her detailed petition for the protective order, Jackson expressed profound fear for her life, explicitly stating that if the court did not intervene, "James will kill me." She further alleged that Pearce had "verbally and physically abused me on more than one occasion" and had issued threats to kill, harm, and injure her, including a specific threat to place a bag over her head, as documented in the court filing.

The court acknowledged the urgency of Jackson's plea, granting her initial request for protection. As a result, Pearce is currently under a strict court order prohibiting him from having any contact with Jackson. He is also mandated to maintain a distance of at least 500 feet from her home or place of employment and 100 feet from her vehicle. A permanent injunction hearing has been scheduled for April 21 to further address the protective order.

Neither Jackson's nor Pearce's attorneys provided immediate responses to messages left by ESPN regarding the matter. The NFL has publicly stated through a spokesperson that it continues "to monitor all developments in the matter which remains under review of the personal conduct policy," while the Atlanta Falcons opted to decline any comment. This incident is not isolated, as Florida police records indicate responses to at least seven other 911 calls involving Pearce and an ex-girlfriend, whose name was redacted from police reports, between November and the day of Pearce's arrest.