Last month, former NBA star Shawn Kemp was charged with first-degree assault after firing a handgun outside a mall in Tacoma, Washington. The charges reportedly stemmed from a video showing the incident, which occurred in March 2023. At the time of the charges, Kemp's attorney indicated that he would plead not guilty. Kemp had been arrested at the time of the incident but was released without being charged. The charges came over a month later.
“Today, Shawn Kemp learned that the Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office elected to file charges against him,” attorney Scott Boatman, “He will be entering a plea of not guilty at his upcoming arraignment. Kemp has been fully cooperative with the police and the prosecutor’s office throughout this process. 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. He has retained the law offices of Aaron Kiviat and Tim Leary to defend these charges.”
Kemp Files Not Guilty Plea
On May 4, Kemp officially filed a plea of not guilty at Pierce County Courthouse. He would remain free on the charge of first-degree murder, with the conditions that he surrender any firearms and not attempt to contact the alleged victims. However, Kempt has maintained throughout these proceedings that he was acting in self-defense at the time of the shooting. Kemp will return to court next month for a second hearing on the charge. Kemp did not speak to the media upon leaving the courthouse with his attorney. It is not the first time Kemp has faced legal trouble. He was arrested twice on possession charges in 2005 and 2006.
Kemp spent 14 seasons in the NBA, mostly with the Seattle SuperSonics. A six-time all-star, Kemp retired in 2003 after a single-season stint with the Orlando Magic. Aside from the SuperSonics and Magic, Kemp also spent time with the Cavaliers and Trail Blazers. Additionally, he attempted a comeback for several years, but to no avail. Furthermore, He now owns several businesses in the Seattle area. The most famous of his ventures is a dispensary called Shawn Kemp's Cannabis.
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