Former NBA Star Shawn Kemp Charged in Tacoma Mall Shooting

Shawn Kemp, a former N.B.A. star, has been charged with first-degree assault in Washington State, where Pierce County prosecutors said he was involved in a shooting at a mall in Tacoma last month.

Kemp, 53, plans to plead not guilty, according to a statement by his criminal defense lawyers, Tim Leary and Aaron Kiviat. His arraignment is scheduled for May 4.

“He has been fully cooperative with the police and the prosecutor’s office throughout this process,” Kemp’s lawyers said in a statement. “He is confident that once the jury hears from the witnesses and sees the evidence at trial, they will conclude that he was justified in defending himself that afternoon.”

On March 8, Tacoma police officers arrested Kemp after shots were fired in a parking lot at Tacoma Mall around 2 p.m. He was released from jail a day later, after the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office decided not to charge him immediately, pending an investigation. At the time, the police said no one was injured in the shooting.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/14/sports/basketball/shawn-kemp-shooting.html