Author: Monojit Mandal
Former NBA player Shawn Kemp has been charged with first-degree assault in connection with a shooting in a Tacoma, Washington, parking lot last month. Kemp, according to the authorities, sent a text message moments before the incident: “
I’m about to shoot this (bad word).
” The incident included a stolen cell phone. Kemp was arrested shortly after the March 8 shooting outside the Tacoma Mall. There were no injuries, and Kemp’s lawyers claim he fired in self-defense after locating and trying to retrieve his stolen phone earlier in the day.
The Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office notified CBS News on March 9 that it would not immediately file charges pending further investigation. But Tacoma police filed a probable cause affidavit in Pierce County Superior Court, stating that Kemp was charged with first-degree assault. The statement did not say that Kemp was shot, but said that parts of his claims were not supported by the security video. He also claimed that the text message Kemp sent shortly before the event demonstrated his purpose.
Kemp’s legal team said in a written statement on Friday that he will plead not guilty.“He is convinced that after hearing the witnesses and seeing the evidence at trial, the jury will agree that he was right to protect himself that day,” according to the statement.
Kemp traced his stolen phone to a Toyota 4Runner parked outside a JCPenney department store, according to the probable cause statement. He parked his Porsche a few meters away, took a revolver out of his luggage and approached the 4Runner.
According to the statement, Kemp fired three shots at the Toyota before throwing his gun into nearby bushes. The driver of the 4Runner seemed to have avoided one of the shots and finally drove off. The whole event lasted about five minutes, starting with Kemp’s arrival and ending with 4Runner’s departure.
Kemp’s legal team has yet to comment on the details of the allegations. They maintained, however, that Kemp acted in self-defense and would fight the charges. Kemp was a six-time All-Star and three-time member of the All-NBA Second Team during his 14-year NBA career. In 2003, he announced his retirement from professional basketball.