Former NBA star Shawn Kemp arrested on charges of shooting a car – The Mercury News

Shawn Kemp, a six-time retired NBA All-Star, was arrested in Washington state on a shooting charge, arrest records show.

Kemp, who played eight of his 14 seasons with the Seattle SuperSonics, was arrested at a Pierce County jail just before 6 pm local time on Wednesday, hours after police said they responded to a report of gunfire. at the Tacoma Mall in Tacoma, Washington.

“Responding officers determined that an altercation occurred between two people in vehicles,” the Tacoma Police Department said. “One of the drivers fired several shots at the occupants of the other vehicle. The victim’s vehicle fled the scene.

No injuries were reported.

“Officers located the suspect who fired the shots on the Tacoma Mall property and apprehended him without incident,” police said. “A firearm was found at the scene.”

Kemp, 53, has not publicly commented, but sources close to him say he fired a gun in self-defense, according to Tacoma news station KCPQ. Sources claim that Kemp tracked stolen items from his car to Tacoma and that someone else shot him before he opened fire.

A cellphone video posted by the TV station shows a man in a red vest raising his arms in what appears to be a mall parking lot.

The SuperSonics, who became the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008, drafted Kemp in the first round of the 1989 NBA Draft. Kemp also played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trail Blazers and Orlando Magic, averaging 14.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game in 14 NBA seasons.

Kemp, who retired in 2003, was previously arrested for drug possession in 2005 and 2006. He now runs two marijuana dispensaries in the Seattle area.

()