Sparks' Rickea Jackson Asks For Protective Order Against Ex-boyfriend, Falcons' Player James Pearce Jr.

Stating that she fears for her life, Sparks guardant Rickea Jackson has revenge a petition for protection against her ex-boyfriend, Atlanta Falcons separator rusher James Pearce Jr.

Miami-Dade (Fla.) County Judge Heloiza Correa granted Jackson’s first petition for protection Feb. 9, and a imperishable injunction proceeding is group for April 21. Pearce is nether bid not to person interaction pinch Jackson aliases travel wrong 500 feet of her location aliases spot of employment.

“James has threatened to termination me, James has threatened to harm me, James has threatened to injure me, James has threatened to spot a container complete my head, and James has verbally and physically abused maine connected much than 1 occasion,” Jackson wrote successful her connection to nan court.

Jackson, 24, besides revenge announcement pinch nan tribunal that she is consenting to attest against Pearce. Her original petition for injunction for protection against making love unit — fundamentally a restraining bid — was revenge 2 days aft Pearce’s arrest Feb. 7 for allegedly ramming his Lamborghini SUV into her car much than once, and doing nan aforesaid to a constabulary car successful Doral, Fla.

Pearce, 22, faces felony charges of aggravated artillery pinch a deadly weapon, aggravated stalking, aggravated artillery and fleeing from a constabulary officer. He besides faces a misdemeanor complaint of resisting an serviceman and 9 postulation violations.

“Mr. Pearce maintains his innocence and urges nan nationalist to understand that while allegations person nan powerfulness to style a narrative, that it is hardly nan full, complete story,” Pearce’s attorney, Jacob Nunez, told AP soon aft nan arrest. “We look guardant to vigorously defending our client.”

In a tribunal filing, Jackson said that she collapsed up pinch Pearce weeks earlier nan incident that led to his arrest. She said Pearce offered her $200,000 to stay successful a narration pinch him and that his behaviour toward her became progressively alarming. According to ESPN, astatine slightest 7 different 911 calls to constabulary ⁠in nan months earlier nan Feb. 7 incident reported Pearce to beryllium stalking aliases harassing an unnamed girlfriend.

A constabulary study says nan narration betwixt Jackson and Pearce began 3 years agone erstwhile some were prima athletes astatine Tennessee.

Pearce was taken by nan Falcons successful nan first information of nan 2025 draught pinch a prime acquired from nan Rams. The 6-foot-5, 243-pound separator rusher vanished 3rd for AP Defensive Rookie of nan Year aft signaling 10.5 sacks.

Jackson was a first-round prime of nan Sparks successful 2024. The 6-2 guardant emerged arsenic a prima successful her 2nd season, picking up MVP votes aft averaging 14.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists.

“She’s a soft person, soft athlete, soft hoops player,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said successful 2025. “She makes difficult things look really easy … she makes things look effortless, and I cognize they’re not.”

The narration betwixt Jackson and Pearce became volatile successful January erstwhile nan Falcons prima admitted successful a constabulary study obtained by ESPN that he thought Jackson was cheating connected him.

The Feb. 7 incident was described successful Jackson’s tribunal filing and a constabulary report. Jackson was attempting to get distant from Pearce, who followed her successful his car, tried to unfastened her car doorway astatine a extremity and slammed into her car much than erstwhile while she tried to participate nan Doral Police Department parking batch “because I knew James was going to wounded me,” Jackson said.

An serviceman pulled a weapon connected Pearce and ordered him to get connected nan ground. However, Pearce jumped backmost into his car. The serviceman attempted to unfastened nan door, but Pearce unopen it and drove away, his car clipping an officer’s near knee.

Police gave pursuit and Pearce collapsed astatine an intersection earlier fleeing connected foot. Officers said that they caught up pinch him and he resisted arrest. He was released aft posting a $20,500 bond.