NBA Legend Arrested in Mall Parking Lot Shooting

NBA legend Shawn Kemp has been charged by prosecutors in Washington state with first-degree assault in a parking lot shooting last month over a stolen cell phone. The prosecutors said that Kemp sent a text message that said "I'm about to shoot this (expletive)" just before the shooting, according to the Associated Press. 

Kemp was arrested after the shooting outside the Tacoma Mall on March 8. No one was injured in the shooting, and Kemp's lawyers have stated that he returned fire in self-defense after tracking and trying to retrieve a cell phone that was stolen from him earlier in the day. 

Shawn Kemp has been charged with first-degree assault for firing his gun during a parking lot altercation last month. The NBA great says it was self-defense. https://t.co/jUherLQYWT

— TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) April 14, 2023

"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," Kemp's attorney Tom Leary wrote in a statement while adding that the former NBA star will plead not guilty.   

Tacoma police filed a probable cause statement on Friday that did not indicate Kemp was shot at. It said some of the statements he made were not corroborated by surveillance video and that the text message he sent 13 minutes before he arrived at the mall showed his intent. Kemp told police that he went back to his vehicle and parked several spots away to get his gun after being shot. The video, however, shows that Kemp was armed with a weapon when he approached the parked Toyota 4Runner where he tracked his phone. 

The statement said Kemp tacked his phone to the vehicle that was parked near a JCPenny department store. He parked his own car, a Porsche, several spots away, grabbed a handgun and approached the 4Runner. The statement also said Kemp fired three times into the vehicle before throwing his gun into the bushes. The driver of the 4Runner appeared to duck one of the shots and eventually drove off. Kemp is due to be arraigned on May 4. 

Kemp played in the NBA from 1989-2003. He spent the majority of his career with the Seattle SuperSonics (1989-1997) and was selected to the All-Star team six times. Kemp was also named to the All-NBA Second Team three times before playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trail Blazers and Orlando Magic. Kemp finished his career averaging 14.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.