Former NBA star Shawn Kemp pleaded responsible to second-degree assault on Tuesday after he fired a gun in a Tacoma shopping center parking zone in March 2023.
The Seattle Occasions reported the protection’s trial transient mentioned he six-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA choice shot at two males inside a Toyota 4Runner after they broke into his truck and stole quite a few objects together with keys to his enterprise, a cellphone, paperwork and sports activities memorabilia akin to game-worn Gary Payton and Kemp jerseys that had been a part of a charity fundraiser.
The previous Seattle SuperSonic adopted the placement of the stolen cellphone to trace down the thief who was driving the 4Runner, which was additionally stolen.
The thief dumped a lot of the stolen objects however took off with the mobile phone “because he mistook it for a drug scale.” Kemp tracked the thief down once more and, to his shock, a second man was within the 4Runner and started firing a gun at Kemp.
“Mr. Kemp returned fire and attempted to disable the Toyota,” the transient mentioned. “It did not work.”
The 4Runner and one other automobile had been broken however nobody was injured.
The 2 males within the 4Runner, aged 39 and 35, have prolonged legal histories and are at the moment serving jail sentences.
The 55-year-old Kemp was initially charged with a rely of first-degree assault with a firearm enhancement, however prosecutors amended the costs final week and added a second first-degree assault cost, additionally with a firearm enhancement, in addition to drive-by capturing.
“Shawn is committed to moving forward in a positive direction,” Kemp’s lawyer Tim Leary mentioned. “He was presented with an offer from the state that allows him to take responsibility, but I think also recognizes the self-defense nature of how this transpired.”
His responsible plea will disallow him from possessing a firearm and he’s additionally being required to offer a organic pattern for a legislation enforcement DNA database.
A sentencing for a second-degree assault on this case is often three to 9 months with a yr of group custody.
The prosecution is standing by the loftier finish of that sentence and is urging the decide to condemn Kemp to 9 months in jail, one yr in group custody and to pay restitution.
Kemp will probably be sentenced Aug. 22.
“[Kemp’s] plan is to tell the community about the dangers of gun violence, really to be a positive influence on youth,” one other of Kemp’s attorneys, Aaron Kiviat, mentioned.
Kemp performed 14 NBA seasons, together with eight in Seattle.
