No charges will be filed against former NBA star Shawn Kemp, prosecutor says

TACOMA, Wash. — Former NBA forward Shawn Kemp will not be charged after he was arrested in a drive-by shooting in Washington state, prosecutors said Thursday.

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According to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, no charges will be filed against the six-time all-star, KIRO-TV reported. That is pending further investigation by the Tacoma Police Department, according to the television station.

Kemp, 53, played for the Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trail Blazers and Orlando Magic during his 14-year NBA career from 1989 to 2003, according to Basketball-Reference.com. He was booked into the Pierce County Jail on Wednesday after his arrest near the Tacoma Mall, KIRO reported.

Tacoma police said an altercation between occupants of two vehicles near the mall led to shots being fired, ESPN reported. There were no injuries reported and a gun was recovered.

Kemp’s attorney, Scott Boatman, said in a statement to ESPN on Thursday that Kemp’s car was broken into and numerous items, including an iPhone, were stolen. He added that Kemp fired his weapon in self-defense.

Boatman said that Kemp tracked his phone to an occupied vehicle and was shot at when he approached it, ESPN reported.

“We’re grateful they didn’t rush to judgment,” Seattle criminal defense lawyer Tim Leary, who is representing Kemp, told The Associated Press.