Shawn Kemp, a legendary figure in Seattle Supersonics history, was sentenced last Friday to 30 days of electronic home monitoring for his involvement in a shooting incident in a Washington state parking lot in 2023. He will begin serving his home monitoring sentence in two weeks. Additionally, Kemp is required to spend one year under the supervision of the state’s Department of Corrections and complete 240 hours of community service.
Support for Kemp was evident during the hearing, with several letters submitted on his behalf and approximately 30 attendees present, including former Seahawks star Marshawn Lynch. Following the hearing, Kemp expressed his commitment to advocating against gun violence.
The sentencing is a result of an incident in March 2023 when the six-time NBA All-Star fired shots at individuals in a mall parking lot. In May, Kemp pleaded guilty to a second-degree assault charge, allowing him to avoid jail time with his current sentence. “I’m very apologetic for what I did,” Kemp told the judge after the sentencing.
Kemp maintained that he acted in self-defense, asserting that he returned fire after one of the individuals shot at him. His defense team claimed the men provoked the situation by stealing his truck, cellphone, and memorabilia. Tacoma police later discovered the abandoned vehicle driven by the men five days after the shooting. Court records obtained by the Seattle Times revealed that an empty holster was found inside the car, but no firearm was recovered.
According to trial documents, Kemp utilized a phone-tracking app to locate his stolen items and attempted to communicate with the driver of the vehicle. While the men returned some of his belongings, they retained his phone.
The judge ultimately ruled in favor of Kemp, suggesting that the circumstances surrounding the assault justified an “exceptional sentence.” Typically, state guidelines for second-degree assault would result in a jail sentence of three to nine months. Prosecutors had sought a nine-month jail sentence, a year of supervision, and restitution.
