Good news has arrived for Shawn Kemp. ESPN reports that no charges are being filed against the former NBA star, who was arrested for a drive-by shooting on Wednesday.
According to a statement from Adam Faber, a spokesperson for the Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office, no charges are being filed against Kemp, and the former power forward was released from jail pending further investigation.
KIRO 7 obtained footage of the incident. The video shows a man, wearing a red vest, which appears to be Kemp standing next to a vehicle. The video also shows someone driving away in a Black car, while another clip shows the man being pulled over by police and handcuffed.
“I was helping a customer and I heard a couple shots, and the mail lady was coming in and she said, ‘The guy in the red vest just shot somebody,’” a witness said to KIRO 7. “And then I ran over there and locked all my doors and started videotaping it.”
“I’m not saying it would be any better, but if it was like DUI or something of that nature, you kind of see it,” Robert said to KIRO 7. “But like a drive-by shooting, Shawn Kemp — he’s not shooting basketballs, right?”
In 2020, Kemp opened Seattle’s first Black-owned cannabis dispensary.
“My name is on this company and I have worked hard to bring Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis to fruition,” said Kemp. “I want to provide nothing short of the best selection, customer experience, and prices in Seattle. I have incredible partners in Matt Schoenlein and Ramsey Hamide to make sure we deliver on that promise to our customers, who are our top priority.
“I hope that Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis will be an inspiration for people to get involved with the legal cannabis industry, especially people of color.”
Kemp garnered six NBA All-Star appearances and played 14 seasons in the league. He played eight with the Seattle SuperSonics, the team who selected him out of high school as the 17th overall pick in the 1989 draft. He also played for Cleveland, Portland, and Orlando.
During an interview with the Washington Post, Kemp shared people’s perceptions of him.
“The perception of a guy on the basketball court dunking and yelling and screaming and having fun is that he’s probably a pretty mean guy,” he says. “But it’s just the opposite.”
“That sh*it made me grow up,” Kemp said. “It always amazes me how some people can look at something as being so bad when it could change a person’s life around and make life so much better for them. If it wasn’t for my kids, man, I’d have probably been reckless as hell. I would’ve really been one reckless-ass dude.”