One day after his arrest, prosecutors confirmed that Shawn Kemp was released from jail after prosecutors decided he would face no immediate criminal charges. “This case’s status will be ‘No Charges Filed’ pending further investigation by Tacoma Police, and Mr. Kemp will be released,” Adam Faber, a spokesperson for the Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office told CNN in a statement.
Detailing the shooting in a statement (via the Associated Press), Kemp’s attorney, V. Scott Boatman, explained that some people broke into the NBA star’s car on March 7, making way with a number of his things including an iPhone. Upon tracking it, Kemp found the cell phone in a car in a parking lot. However, while he tried to retrieve his belongings from the car, Kemp was shot at, leaving him no other option but to fire back in self-defense. “There was not a drive-by shooting as previously reported and Mr. Kemp’s actions were reasonable and legally justified,” Boatman added.
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Of course, Kemp’s recent arrest is not his first run-in with the law. Back in 2005, the former Seattle SuperSonics power forward was arrested for drug possession — a charge to which he pled guilty, per The U.S Sun. One year later, Kemp was yet again arrested and charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession.
