Shawn Kemp pleads guilty to 2nd-degree assault

Shawn Kemp lawyers claim bias in Tacoma Mall shooting case as trial nears

Shawn Kemp's attorneys have filed a series of motions relating to his first-degree assault charge from a 2023 shooting at Tacoma Mall, with the trial less than a week away.

TACOMA, Wash. - Former Seattle Sonics star Shawn Kemp pleaded guilty to second-degree assault on Tuesday for a 2023 shooting at the Tacoma Mall.

Kemp was charged with assault over a shooting outside the Tacoma Mall in 2023. He claimed he fired a gun in self-defense, while confronting two men who broke into his truck.

The Pierce County Prosecutor's Office told FOX 13 Seattle that Kemp pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree assault.

What they're saying:

Kemp's attorney told FOX 13 Seattle that they feel the plea agreement recognizes Kemp's effort to defend himself while trying to recover his stolen property.

"The state’s willingness to reduce its charges from two counts of assault one with a gun enhancement to a single charge of assault two without any enhancements and to further allow us to ask for no jail time is appreciated by Shawn and his team. We feel that the plea agreement recognizes Shawn’s attempt to defend himself while trying to recover his stolen property from two currently incarcerated criminals, while at the same time recognizing Shawn’s significant work in the Seattle community helping those in need. Shawn now looks forward to working with Pierce County to help troubled youth in Tacoma and other areas on a number of issues, including gun violence. Shawn greatly appreciates all of the hard work from his local legal team, Tim Leary and Aaron Kiviat, and the endless support from numerous others in the community," said Scott Boatman, Kemp's longtime personal attorney.

The backstory:

Kemp, who allegedly had his truck broken into, tracked his stolen phone using an app and confronted Dajuan Jackson and Joshua Puente.

The ex-NBA star initially interacted with the accused car prowlers in the Emerald Queen Casino parking lot, where they dumped Kemp's items onto the side of the road, according to court documents.

Dajuan Jackson (left) and Joshua Puente (right)

On the afternoon of March 8, 2023, Kemp once again tracked down Jackson and Puente, this time at the Tacoma Mall, where he made another attempt to recover his belongings.

Kemp's attorneys claim Puente fired a round from a handgun at Kemp, and Kemp returned fire in an attempt to disable their Toyota. The shooting was captured on video.

Tacoma police arrived at the scene and arrested Kemp. He was booked into jail and released a day later after no charges were initially filed.

What's next:

Sentencing is set for 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 22. 

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