Pierce County prosecutors decided Thursday not to charge former Seattle Sonics star Shawn Kemp pending further investigation by Tacoma police into an alleged shooting Wednesday at the Tacoma Mall. No injuries were reported.
Kemp, who was booked into the Pierce County Jail just before 6 p.m. Wednesday on investigation of drive-by shooting, is to be released from custody by 9 p.m. Thursday, jail records show.
In Pierce County, criminal defendants are usually but not always charged and arraigned on the next court date after an arrest, whereas in King County, arraignment — when a defendant enters a plea — typically happens two weeks after charges are filed.
Tacoma police responded to a report of gunfire in the parking lot of the Tacoma Mall in the 4500 block of South Steele Street just before 2 p.m. Wednesday, according to police. Officers determined that there had been an altercation between people in two vehicles: One of the drivers fired several rounds at people in the other vehicle, which fled the scene.
Officers located and arrested a 53-year-old man who fired the shots, and they recovered a firearm, police said. A Pierce County Sheriff’s spokesperson later confirmed that the man arrested was Kemp. It was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney.
A six-time NBA All-Star, Kemp was a major part of the Sonics’ successful run in the 1990s.
He debuted in the NBA during the 1989-90 season as a 20-year-old who had never played college basketball. He quickly became known for his high-flying, athletic dunks.
Kemp teamed with point guard Gary Payton to form one of the league’s top duos. They led the Sonics to the NBA Finals in 1996, where they lost to the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls.
Unhappy with his contract situation, Kemp forced a trade out of Seattle after the 1996-97 season. The Sonics received forward Vin Baker as the main return in the trade that landed Kemp in Cleveland, where he had three more standout seasons.
He was traded to Portland in 2000 and played three more seasons, but his play declined significantly.
In 2020, Kemp opened a cannabis dispensary in Seattle’s Belltown, called Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis. He opened a second shop last month in Sodo.
Seattle Times assistant sports editor Nathan Joyce and staff reporters Lauren Girgis and Vonnai Phair contributed to this report.