Ex-NBA star Shawn Kemp was formally charged with first-degree assault on Friday in connection with his involvement in a shooting that took place in Tacoma, Wash. on March 8, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Friday.
After initially avoiding charges, Kemp, who was released from jail on March 9, will now face legal action a little over a month after he was arrested for firing a handgun during an altercation in the Tacoma Mall parking lot. The 53-year-old plans to enter a not guilty plea during his upcoming arraignment, Kemp’s attorney Scott Boatman told ESPN; the arraignment is reportedly scheduled for May 4, per Tacoma’s King 5 News.
According to a March 8 report from the Tacoma Police Department, Kemp was booked on a drive-by shooting charge following an altercation where “no injuries were reported” and “a gun was recovered” at the scene. On March, 9, the Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office announced Kemp would be released from jail and would not face charges “pending further investigation.”
While Kemp’s lawyers initially said that he acted in self-defense while trying to retrieve several items, including his iPhone, he claimed were stolen, a probable cause statement from Tacoma police claimed that Kemp allegedly sent a text message just before the shooting showing his intent to shoot the person who allegedly stole from him. The police statement also claimed that Kemp was not shot at, and that some of his statements were not corroborated by evidence.
After asserting that Kemp’s actions were “reasonable” and “legally justified” a day after his release, Boatman maintained that stance Friday in a new statement saying his client was “justified in defending himself.”
“[Kemp] has been fully cooperative with the police and the prosecutor’s office throughout this process,” the statement said, per Wojnarowski. “He is confident that once the jury hears from the witness and sees the evidence at trial, they will conclude that he was justified in defending himself that afternoon.
A five-time All-Star during his eight seasons with Seattle, Kemp has remained a prominent figure and local businessman in the area since retiring from the NBA in 2003 following a 14-year career.
