Gene Johnson
SEATTLE (AP) — Prosecutors in Washington state Friday charged former NBA star Shawn Kemp with first-degree assault last month when he used a stolen cell phone to shoot him in a parking lot. I’ll shoot this (expletive)”
Kemp was arrested after being shot outside the Tacoma Mall on March 8. No one was injured. Kemp’s attorney claimed he returned fire in self-defense after he tracked down and attempted to retrieve a stolen cell phone that day.
One of them, Tim Leary, did not immediately return a text message seeking comment on the accusations.
A probable cause statement by Tacoma police filed in Pierce County Superior Court on Friday did not indicate Kemp was shot. A text message, sent just 13 minutes before, indicated his intentions.
According to probable cause documents, Kemp told police that after being shot, he returned to his car, parked it several places away, and obtained his gun. However, the video showed he was armed with a weapon when he approached a parked Toyota 4Runner.
Kemp tracked his phone to find a Toyota 4Runner sport utility vehicle parked near the JCPenney department store, according to the statement. He parked his car, a Porsche, several places away, pulled a handgun out of his backpack and approached his four-runner, his statement said.
He fired three times at the Toyota and then threw the gun into some bushes, according to the statement. The four-runner driver appeared to dodge one of his shots and eventually drove off, it said. Only five minutes had passed since Kemp’s arrival before the four-runners departed.
Bullets that hit the 4Runner went through the front license plate mount, front quarter panel, steering wheel, and front passenger door.
Kemp is scheduled to be arraigned on May 4.
Kemp, who owns two licensed cannabis stores in Seattle, was a six-time NBA All-Star and played for the Seattle SuperSonics from 1989-1997. He also played for Cleveland, Portland and Orlando.
Kemp made his NBA debut in the 1989-90 season at the age of 20, having never played college basketball. He became known for his high-flying dunks.
