Former Sonics star Shawn Kemp has been charged with assault in first degree stemming from March incident when Kemp allegedly fired a handgun in parking lot of a Tacoma shopping mall. His lawyer Scott Boatman tells ESPN that Kemp will enter plea of not guilty in upcoming…
UPDATED 4/14/23 7:01 p.m. ET: Complex can confirm that Shawn Kemp has been charged with assault in the first degree—having to do with the incident in March where he fired a handgun in a parking lot of a Tacoma shopping mall.
Kemp’s attorney Scott Boatman says that the athlete expects to enter a plea of not guilty.
UPDATED 3/9/23 4:55 p.m. ET: Shawn Kemp’s attorney Scott Boatman released a statement regarding the incident and argued that his client was defending himself.
“There was no drive by shooting as previously reported and Mr. Kemp’s actions were reasonable and legally justified,” Boatman wrote.
Attorney Scott Boatman statement on his client Shawn Kemp:
UPDATED 3/9/23 11:06 a.m. ET: Footage has now been released amid continued coverage of the incident. Shawn Kemp, meanwhile, has alleged that he acted in self-defense.
According to TMZ, which shared the footage, witnesses at the scene outside a Washington mall claim they heard several gunshots before recording. They also alleged to have seen Kemp ditch his gun in a nearby bush.
Kemp is allegedly the man seen wearing a red vest in the footage below. Per the latest report, Kemp fired his weapon “at least once.”
Regional outlet FOX 13 adds that Kemp, per their sources, was acting in self-defense at the time after having items stolen from his vehicle. Furthermore, these sources allege that Kemp was shot at first.
See original story below.
Former NBA star Shawn Kemp has been arrested for his alleged involvement in a drive-by shooting on Wednesday in Washington.
According to King 5 News, an altercation between two groups of individuals occurred around 2 p.m. at the Tacoma Mall. Authorities were called after the dispute between two vehicles in the parking lot escalated into gunshots.
One driver allegedly fired several rounds in the direction of the other vehicle. The car that was fired upon eventually fled. The person suspected of using a gun at the scene was detained without incident.
Tacoma Police released a statement, disclosing that a 53-year-old male was taken into custody, but the individual was not identified.
At 1:58 pm, an altercation between the occupants of 2 cars led to shots being fired at a parking lot in the 4500 blk of S. Steele St. One car fled. No injuries were reported. A gun was recovered. A 53-yr-old male was booked for Drive-By Shooting. The investigation is ongoing.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that, based on the booking list for the Pierce County Corrections, the individual is Kemp, who shares the same birthday as the SuperSonics star.
According to the Pierce (Wash.) Corrections Inmate listings, six-time NBA All-Star Shawn Kemp -- a legendary member of the Seattle Sonics -- has been booked in an alleged drive-by shooting.
The Seattle Times also reported the news of Kemp’s arrest.
