Former NBA All-Star Shawn Kemp pleaded guilty to second-degree assault on Tuesday for his role in a parking lot shooting at a Tacoma, Washington shopping mall.
Kemp shot at two men in a Toyota 4Runner at the parking lot of the Tacoma Mall in March 2023. Nobody was injured in the shooting. Kemp’s defense argued that a man in the 4Runner shot at Kemp first after the two men broke into Kemp’s truck and stole his valuables.
Advertisement
Kemp was arrested without incident after the shooting and initially released from jail without facing charges as his attorney argued that the shooting was in self-defense.
Following an investigation, prosecutors charged Kemp with one count of first-degree assault with a firearm enhancement. Per the Seattle Times, prosecutors added a charge of second-degree assault with a firearm enhancement and a drive-by shooting charge last week.
Kemp avoids potentially lengthy criminal sentence
The combined charges could have resulted in a years-long prison sentence for Kemp had he been convicted at trial. Instead, Kemp reached a plea agreement before entering his guilty plea to the lesser charge at the Pierce County Superior Court.
Advertisement
Prosecutors recommended that Kemp be sentenced to nine months in jail, one year of community custody and to pay restitution. Per the Times, the standard sentencing range for second-degree assault is 3-9 months in jail and one year of community custody.
“Shawn is committed to moving forward in a positive direction,” Kemp’s attorney, Tim Leary said, per the Times. “He was presented with an offer from the state that allows him to take responsibility, but I think also recognizes the self-defense nature of how this transpired.”
Kemp will be sentenced in August. He didn’t comment to media following Tuesday’s hearing.
Shawn Kemp, seen here at a 2024 Seahawks game, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to second-degree assault. (Jane Gershovich/Getty Images)
(Jane Gershovich via Getty Images)
Trial brief: Kemp fired back after alleged car burglar fired first
Kemp’s attorney’s filed court documents stating that Kemp’s truck was broken into on March 8, 2023 while Kemp and employees of a cannabis dispensary that he owns in Seattle attended a concert.
Advertisement
Per the documents, thieves stole keys to the dispensary, a purse owned by one of the employees, documents, Kemp’s iPhone and sports memorabilia that was intended for auction including a game-worn jersey by Kemp’s former Sonics teammate Gary Payton.
Via a tracking app, Kemp tracked down his stolen phone that was in possession of one of the two men in the 4Runner at the parking lot of the Emerald Queen Casino parking in Tacoma, according to a court briefing. Kemp tried to talk to the driver of the 4Runner, which was also stolen, according to the brief.
The driver dumped some of the stolen items on the side of the road, but kept Kemp’s phone and drove away. Kemp again tracked his phone to the Tacoma Mall and spotted the same 4Runner.
According to the brief, Kemp again confronted the driver, but didn’t realize that a second man was lying down in the backseat of the 4Runner. The defense stated that the man in the back seat fired first at Kemp with a handgun. Kemp responded by firing his own gun in an effort to disable the 4Runner, the defense argued.
Advertisement
Police records show that a witness called to report two men firing at each other in the mall parking lot. The 4Runner fled the scene and was found abandoned days later. According to the Times, the two men in the 4Runner have long criminal histories and are serving prison sentences for other crimes.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Thomas Howe wrote in a statement addressing the plea agreement that because of the two witnesses’ past crimes of dishonesty and the “fact that those people were illegally in possession” of Kemp’s belongings, the case should be resolved short of trial.
As part of the agreement, Kemp is required to provide a biological sample for a law enforcement DNA database and is not allowed to possess a gun.
Advertisement
Kemp, 55, played 14 seasons in the NBA from 1989-2003 after being selected 17th in the 1989 draft. He spent his first eight seasons with the SuperSonics, where he made five of his six NBA All-Star teams as one of the league’s most physical and athletic players.
He and Payton led the SuperSonics to the 1996 NBA Finals against Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls. He played six more seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trail Blazers and Orlando Magic.
Kemp has remained engaged in the Seattle community since his retirement and has campaigned to bring the NBA back to the city. He owned the now-shuttered sports bar Oskar’s Kitchen in Seattle before opening his cannabis dispensary in 2020.
