Seattle SuperSonics great Shawn Kemp avoided jail time in his sentencing hearing for an assault conviction on Friday, according to the Seattle Times. Instead, the 55-year-old was sentenced to 30 days of electronic home monitoring, a year of community confinement and 240 hours of community service in a case where he admitted to firing a gun at a pair of men who allegedly burglarized his truck, without hitting them.
Kemp pleaded guilty to a second-degree assault charge in May. The charge comes with a sentencing guideline of three to nine months, with prosecutors seeking nine. Per the Times, Judge Michael Schwartz found that the case warranted an “exceptional sentence” given the circumstances.
From the Times:
“He understands and appreciates that he could have and should have conducted himself differently that afternoon in the Tacoma Mall parking lot,” Kemp’s defense attorney, Timothy Leary, wrote in a sentencing memo. “However, the public scorn, disappointment, embarrassment and personal shame weighs heavy on Mr. Kemp. That punishment lasts much longer than any jail sentence.”
Leary also released a statement saying his client is “genuinely regretful” and “looks forward to continuing to make a positive impact as a community leader, mentor, and small business owner.”
Kemp was alleged to have opened fire after tracking down a pair of men, Dajuan Jackson and Joshua Puente, whom the defense argued had stolen several items from Kemp’s truck while the former NBA All-Star was attending a celebration with the employees of his cannabis company. Per KOMO News, those items included the keys to his business, a cell phone, paperwork, a business purse and game-worn jerseys from Kemp and Hall of Famer Gary Payton that were going to be auctioned for charity.
Kemp allegedly tracked down the men by tracking his phone and confronted them in the parking lot of the Tacoma Mall. His defense reportedly argued that he fired his gun only in self-defense after they shot at him, pointing to a holster, but not a gun, later found in their abandoned car. Prosecutors argued he did not appear to flinch at all and there was no evidence either of the men shot a gun.
The defense also reportedly pointed to Jackson and Puente having 49 and 24 criminal convictions, respectively, in the Puget Sound region.
Possible consequences remain for Shawn Kemp
While Kemp will not go to jail, he still faces possible consequences in two areas. The first is a pending lawsuit from one of the victims, who is currently imprisoned in the Stafford Creek Corrections Center according to the Times. He reportedly claims the incident left him with severe personal injuries and emotional distress:
In a victim impact statement, the man wrote he is traumatized from the shooting and has “been left in a state of emotional suffering,” and can’t watch basketball or play sports with his kids without being triggered.
“The assault against me by Mr. Kemp has left me paralyzed with fear and hopelessness about the future,” he wrote.
The man is requesting Kemp pay the Department of Corrections the cost of his medical treatment while he is incarcerated.
There’s also the matter of Kemp’s cannabis business, as the conviction means he is now a convicted felon. Per KIRO 7, Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board Brian Smith said that felony convictions make it difficult to renew a cannabis license:
“It’s up to the board to make those decisions,” Smith said. “Our guidelines say no. If you are convicted of a felony within 10 years, our guidelines say not to go forward with that license.”
Kemp reportedly owns 10% of the business, which he opened in 2020. If the license renewal is declined, it will leave the business with only a few paths forward:
“The board even has the option of only letting it go forward without him on the license. Or the other members [business co-owners] could ask him to leave. That’s a business decision on their end,” Smith said.
