No charges are immediately being filed against former NBA All-Star Shawn Kemp following his arrest in a drive-by shooting in Washington, prosecutors said Thursday.
Kemp, 53, was booked for investigation of felony drive-by shooting shortly before 6 p.m. local time Wednesday in Tacoma, online jail records show. No one was injured in the shooting.
Adam Faber, a spokesperson for the Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office, said in an emailed statement Thursday afternoon that that no charges were immediately being filed against Kemp and that he was being released from jail pending further investigation.
Tacoma police said an altercation between occupants of two vehicles near the Tacoma Mall led to shots being fired early Wednesday afternoon. No injuries were reported, and one of the cars fled the scene, according to a release from the police department on social media. A gun was recovered.
Kemp’s attorney, Scott Boatman, said in a statement to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Thursday that Kemp’s car was broken into and numerous items, including an iPhone were stolen. Kemp tracked his iPhone to an occupied car, and was shot at when he approached the vehicle. Kemp then returned fire in self defense, Boatman says.
Kemp, who has two licensed cannabis stores in Seattle, was a six-time NBA All-Star and played for the Seattle SuperSonics from 1989 to 1997. He also played for Cleveland, Portland and Orlando.