UPDATE: Former Seattle SuperSonics star Shawn Kemp will be released following his arrest for felony drive-by on Wednesday.
According to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, no charges will be filed, pending further investigation by the Tacoma Police Department.
See the original story below.
Shawn Kemp is claiming self-defense after he was arrested on Wednesday and charged with felony drive-by.
The Tacoma Police Department released the following statement:
Drive-By Shooting Arrest at the Tacoma Mall
At 1:58 p.m. officers responded to reports of shots fired in the parking lot of the Tacoma Mall at the 4500 block of S. Steele St. No injuries were reported.
Responding officers determined an altercation had occurred between two parties in vehicles. One of the drivers fired off several rounds at the occupants of the other vehicle. The victim vehicle fled the area.
Officers located the suspect who had fired off the shots on Tacoma Mall property and detained him without incident.
A firearm was recovered from the scene.
The 53-year-old suspect was booked into jail for Drive-By Shooting.
Sources close to the 6-time NBA All-Star say that he had property stolen from his car on Tuesday and tracked his iPhone to the Tacoma Mall parking lot near the Courtesy Tire store.
When he approached the vehicle to retrieve his stolen property the suspect shot at him and he fired back in self-defense.
When police arrived on the scene, Shawn Kemp didn’t flee the parking lot, but he appears to make a little detour to discard his weapon, which was later recovered in a bush.
Shawn was arrested and booked into Pierce County Jail.
Drive-by shooting is listed as a class B felony under Washington law.
Shawn Kemp could face up to 10 years in prison and/or a $20.000 fine if convicted.
Let’s be honest, police knew charging a former NBA star with a felony drive-by shooting has more razzle-dazzle than: former NBA star shoots back at thieves in self-defense.
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Source: Q13FOX
