A 53-year-old Rocky Mount woman is being held without bond after Edgecombe County deputies say she grabbed a pickaxe and ran toward a man in an aggressive manner, putting him in fear for his safety. Christa Shaw Evans was arrested Sunday and now faces a charge of assault with a deadly weapon, with a scheduled court appearance today.
According to WCTI, Evans was taken into custody by the Edgecombe County Sheriff's Office on September 6 for allegedly running toward a man while holding a pickaxe. Court records cited by NC Busted MUGS detail the allegation further, stating that Evans picked up the pickaxe and ran at the man in a manner that placed him in fear of physical harm. She is currently being held without bond.
Why the Charge Stayed a Misdemeanor
Despite involving a weapon capable of serious harm, the charge against Evans falls under North Carolina's misdemeanor statutes rather than felony law. Assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and without inflicting serious injury is classified as a Class A1 misdemeanor — the most serious misdemeanor category in the state, according to Laird Law PLLC. The statute only escalates to a felony, either Class E or Class C, when the assault causes serious bodily injury or is accompanied by an intent to kill, per Kurtz & Blum PLLC.
That legal distinction appears to explain why Evans has not been charged with a felony, since no serious physical injuries have been reported in connection with the alleged confrontation. Still, a Class A1 misdemeanor conviction is no small matter — under North Carolina's structured sentencing rules, it carries a maximum statutory penalty of up to 150 days of active confinement along with discretionary fines, according to the Manning Law Firm.
Held Without Bond Ahead of Court Appearance
Evans was arrested on a weekend, which under standard Edgecombe County procedure means magistrate judges typically order defendants held without bond until they can appear before a District Court judge to have pretrial release terms evaluated. That process brings her before the court today. Criminal proceedings in Edgecombe County run through the Clerk of Superior Court based in Tarboro, though the county also operates a satellite court facility in Rocky Mount, where the alleged incident occurred.
All details from the arrest warrant and the sheriff's office remain allegations at this stage, and nothing about the case has been tested in court. It's unclear from available records what led up to the confrontation or what relationship, if any, existed between Evans and the man she is accused of chasing.
Part of a Broader Pattern of Violent Crime Locally
The case adds to a string of violent-crime incidents handled by Edgecombe County law enforcement in recent weeks, including an hours-long standoff after a suspect pointed a rifle at deputies last month. It also follows a Rocky Mount man's arrest on attempted murder charges after a shooting in the Happy Hill neighborhood, and a fatal crash that ended a police chase tied to a Tarboro robbery suspect.
The broader numbers help explain why. A North Carolina Department of Public Safety profile published in August 2025 found that Edgecombe County recorded 477 violent crimes in 2023, with aggravated assaults accounting for 70.4% of all violent offenses — a rate of 555 per 100,000 residents, well above the statewide average of 312. The Edgecombe County Sheriff's Office, led by Sheriff Cleveland “Clee” Atkinson Jr., fields more than 50 certified officers among over 100 employees to provide 24-hour patrol across 526 square miles serving nearly 60,000 residents.
Even so, regional trends point in a more encouraging direction overall. Law enforcement agencies across Edgecombe and Nash counties reported an 8% drop in overall reportable offenses between 2023 and 2024, building on a 10.5% decline the year before, according to Fighting Crime News. Whether Evans' case will further test that downward trend remains to be seen as it moves through court.
