(Photo : Vincent Lafore via Getty Images )
25 Apr 1998: Shawn Kemp #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on during a first round NBA Playoff Game against the Indiana Pacers at the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Pacers defeated the Cavaliers 92-86.
Retired NBA star Shawn Kemp has just been charged with assault after allegedly firing a gun at a recent shooting in the parking lot of the Tacoma Mall.
The lawyer of the six-time NBA All-Star argues that the retired legendary basketball player fired his gun in self-defense. However, Prosecutors in Washington alleged otherwise, charging him with first-degree assault.
Ex-NBA Star Shawn Kemp Charged with Assault
As per a report by ESPN, police arrested Kemp last March amid the shooting incident out of the Tacoma Mall.
On the day of the shooting incident, the Tacoma Police Department tweeted a report of the altercation. The Twitter post notes that "an altercation between the occupants of two cars led to shots being fired at a parking lot in the 4500 block of S. Steele St. One car fled." The police disclosed that it booked "a 53-year-old male" "for Drive-By Shooting." And it turned out to be Kemp, as seen on the Pierce County Corrections.
Since then, the lawyers of the former NBA star consistently argued that the retired basketball player fired his gun in return for initial gunfire to defend himself. Kemp was reportedly on his way to retrieve his phone, which his lawyers say has been stolen earlier that day.
However, the charging documents of the Pierce County prosecutors tell a different story. Fox 6 Now News reports that detectives state that video from the witnesses in the March shooting contrasts what Kemp told Tacoma police.
A video taken by one of the witnesses in the scene shows the NBA star getting out of his car. After which, he went straight to get a bag from the trunk of his vehicle while firing a gun.
Besides the video, the court documents say that Kemp allowed the police to search his phone, according to Fox 6 Now News. From there, the investigators reportedly saw a text message sent by Kemp, saying that he plans to shoot the person who allegedly stole his iPhone.
ESPN notes that the message suggests that the retired basketball player had intended to confront and shoot the man, whom he alleged to have stolen his phone.
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SEATTLE, WA - DECEMBER 14: Retired NBA star Shawn Kemp gives an interview during the FAM 1st FAMILY FOUNDATION Charity Event at The Edgewater Hotel on December 14, 2014 in Seattle, Washington.
Kemp to Plead Not Guilty
The attorney of Kemp, Scott Boatman, stated that the 53-year-old former NBA star would plead not guilty, according to CBS Sports.
In a statement, the lawyer of the retired basketball player revealed that "he will be entering a plea of not guilty at his upcoming arraignment."
On top of that, his attorney notes that "he has been fully cooperative with the police and the prosecutor's office throughout this process."
And given that the ex-NBA star "is confident that once the jury hears from the witnesses and sees the evidence at trial," his lawyer disclosed. The arraignment of the former NBA star begins on May 4.
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