Former NBA All-Star Shawn Kemp Released From Jail, Won’t Face Charges After Shooting

AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File

Former NBA player Shawn Kemp will be released by the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday and won’t be charged with a crime after he was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of participating in a drive-by shooting, per KIRO 7 News.

His lawyer released the following statement, saying the situation was never a drive-by shooting but rather self-defense on Kemp’s part:

The shooting took place outside the Tacoma Mall in Washington on Wednesday, with footage obtained by KIRO 7 News showing a man in the area getting into a red Porsche registered to Kemp and speeding away before being pulled over by police.

“I was helping a customer and I heard a couple shots, and the mail lady was coming in and she said, ‘The guy in the red vest just shot somebody,'” a witness told KIRO. “And then I ran over there and locked all my doors and started videotaping it.”

A gun was recovered from the scene and officers said an altercation took place between people in separate cars before a person in one of the cars fired the weapon at the other vehicle. The car that was shot at then drove away from the scene.

No injuries were reported in the incident.

Kemp was originally arrested on a felony drive-by-shooting charge.

Kemp, 53, was a six-time All-Star in his playing career and was a three-time All-NBA Second Team selection, averaging 14.6 points and 8.4 points per game in his career. While he spent the majority of his career with the Seattle Supersonics, he also had stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trail Blazers and Orlando Magic.