Shawn Kemp Charged With First-Degree Assault After Shooting Incident

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Former NBA player Shawn Kemp has been charged with first-degree assault after firing a gun in a Tacoma, Washington parking lot last month.

TMZ Sports reported that the case against him had been up in the air following the March incident. While the former Seatter SuperSonic was arrested at one point early in the investigation, authorities released him as they dug into the incident further.

The incident involved Kemp getting into an altercation in a mall parking lot in Tacoma. Video of the incident shows him walking up to a vehicle with a gun drawn. He seems to yell something then fires a shot.

Officers were quick to get to the scene and quickly arrested Kemp. He reportedly threw the gun in a nearby bush, but authorities recovered it.

Kemp claimed that he was trying to recover a stolen cellphone and that he acted in self-defense. According to TMZ Sports, some witnesses said they heard multiple gunshots before taking video of Kemp firing.

Attorneys for the 53-year-old former 6-time NBA All-Star reportedly said that he will fight the charges.

The SuperSonics drafted the 6-foot-10, Kemp in the 1989 NBA Draft. He played 14 seasons in the NBA with stops in Seattle, Cleveland, Portland, and Orlando.

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Matt is a University of Central Florida graduate and a long-suffering Philadelphia Flyers fan living in Orlando, Florida. He can usually be heard playing guitar, shoe-horning obscure quotes from The Simpsons into conversations, or giving dissertations to captive audiences on why Iron Maiden is the greatest band of all time.