Key takeaways:
- Former NBA star Shawn Kemp was charged with first-degree assault in a parking lot shooting last month in Tacoma, Washington.
- Kemp’s lawyers have insisted that he returned fire in self-defense after tracking and trying to retrieve a cell phone that had been stolen from him earlier that day.
- Kemp is a former NBA star who played for the Seattle SuperSonics from 1989 to 1997 and is currently awaiting trial on the charge of first-degree assault.
Former NBA Star Shawn Kemp Charged with First-Degree Assault
Former NBA star Shawn Kemp was charged with first-degree assault in a parking lot shooting last month in Tacoma, Washington. Prosecutors allege that Kemp wrote a text message just before the shooting, saying, “I’m about to shoot this (expletive).”
Kemp was arrested and charged in connection with the drive-by shooting and was set to appear in court on Thursday, March 9, 2023. No one was injured in the incident.
Kemp’s lawyers have insisted that he returned fire in self-defense after tracking and trying to retrieve a cell phone that had been stolen from him earlier that day. In a written statement sent by defense attorney Tim Leary on Friday, Kemp’s legal team said that he acted in self-defense and that the evidence will show that he was not the aggressor.
The day after the shooting, on March 9, the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said that it was not immediately filing charges pending further investigation. However, after further review, prosecutors decided to move forward with the charge of first-degree assault.
Kemp is a former NBA star who played for the Seattle SuperSonics from 1989 to 1997. He was a six-time NBA All-Star and was named to the All-NBA Third Team in 1995. He is currently awaiting trial on the charge of first-degree assault.
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