Shawn Kemp Could Face Life Sentence After Being Charged With First Degree Assault In Gun Incident

Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images

In March, we reported about the arrest of Shawn Kemp, who was part of an alleged shooting. While it first was reported that Kemp was part of a drive-by shooting in Washington, it later turned out to be a parking-lot dispute that led to Kemp firing his weapon. The former Sonics star was then released from jail again the next morning.

Kemp and his lawyer then publicly issued a statement, shedding some light on the situation, revealing that Kemp’s car had been broken into, with Kemp acting in self-defense. Kemp’s iPhone was apparently stolen, which lead to him tracking the device and finding it in an occupied car in the mall parking lot. When he approached the car, the people inside the car shot at Kemp, who then returned fire.

The story however doesn’t end there, as authorities in Washington continued to investigate the case. Now, a month later, they came to the conclusion to charge Kemp for first-degree assault. If convicted, this could carry a life sentence for the multiple-time All-Star.

Per TMZ:

Now, barring a plea, Kemp’s going to have to fight for his freedom in front of a judge … and fight is exactly what his attorney says he’s going to do, saying he’ll plead not guilty to the charge.