Shawn Kemp, a former NBA star, pleaded guilty to a second-degree assault charge on Tuesday in Pierce County Superior Court in Tacoma. The 55-year-old was initially charged with first-degree assault with a firearm enhancement, but prosecutors added two more counts of assault and drive-by shooting last week.
Incident Details
Kemp’s actions occurred in March 2023 when he shot at two men inside a vehicle in the parking lot of South Hill Mall. The Toyota 4Runner the men were in, along with another vehicle, was damaged, but fortunately, the men were not hurt.
Plea Agreement
As part of a plea agreement, Kemp will be sentenced in August. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Thomas Howe recommended that Kemp receive:
- Nine months in jail
- One year of Department of Corrections supervision after release
- Restitution payment
Howe stated, "We are pleased that this case has been resolved. We believe this is an appropriate resolution given the facts and circumstances."
Kemp’s attorney expressed that his client is "committed to moving forward in a positive direction" and noted that the plea agreement "recognizes the self-defense nature of how this transpired."
Background Context
Court documents reveal that Kemp was involved with several employees from his cannabis dispensary after their truck was broken into outside KeyArena before attending concerts at Lumen Field Event Center. An employee’s purse containing keys for the business, as well as other items including game-worn Gary Payton jerseys meant for charity auction, were stolen.
Using phone-tracking software called Life360, they located the thieves’ car, which had traveled around Seattle and then south toward Olympia before stopping near Puyallup Casino Resort, just north of Interstate 5. There, they briefly communicated through phones left behind until someone fired shots from within their car; they returned fire in an attempt to disable it.
Conclusion
Prosecutors agreed not to pursue more serious charges against Kemp partly because both witnesses who testified against him have previously been convicted of crimes involving dishonesty.
I’m Mark W. Lamplugh Jr., a visionary Chief Executive Officer, Board Member, and best-selling Author with over 25 years of experience driving significant revenue growth and optimizing ROI across the healthcare, wellness, and media industries. Throughout my career, I’ve consistently transformed underperforming operations into thriving ventures by building top-tier marketing organizations, implementing data-driven strategies, and leading transformational change. My empathetic, collaborative, and adaptable leadership style has allowed me to cultivate inclusive cultures of innovation, develop and retain top talent, and forge strong partnerships that fuel organizational success.
Adept in executive leadership, strategic business planning, and brand and marketing strategy, I have a proven track record of boosting annual revenues—achieving up to $1.3B in oncology over three years and generating $360M in mental health initiatives. My approach combines strategic vision with hands-on execution, as evidenced by my success in launching innovative facilities, expanding services for addiction and mental health care, and enhancing organizational brand visibility. As author of “The AI Marketing Playbook,” I contribute thought leadership on the integration of artificial intelligence in marketing, a role that showcases my commitment to staying at the forefront of industry innovation.
I also bring my insights and expertise to a broad audience as the host of cable tv & global streaming of “Street Level Marketing Show,” while my writing has been featured in major publications such as Entrepreneur, Business.com, The Startup, and Kivo Daily. Whether I’m implementing targeted digital marketing campaigns that engage over a million individuals monthly or overseeing multi-million dollar budgets to maximize return on investment, I approach every challenge with a combination of strategic planning, creative problem-solving, and unwavering dedication. Above all, I am passionate about expanding access to high-quality addiction and mental health care through innovative solutions that drive both patient outcomes and organizational growth.
Mark serves on the board of One World for Life, National Fire Heritage Center, and the Institute for Responder Wellness.
Mark (https://marklamplugh.com) is one of the top marketing executives in the United States and has revolutionized how companies reach potential clients thru influence, SEO, social, PR, and traditional marketing. His expertise in Marketing, Social Media, Digital Marketing, and Public Relations has generated millions of dollars in revenue for several national companies. Mark documents many of his techniques in his book “Beginners Guide to Social & Digital Media.” and “Marketing Playbook for Social Media,” which was named the top 100 social media marketing books of all time by Book Authority. He’s also a professional advocate for the behavioral and mental health of firefighters and other first responders. Marks articles have been published in Better Marketing, Startup Magazine, Social Media Today, Kivo Daily, Biz Catalyst 360, Fire Engineering, Firehouse Magazine, and several others.
One of his companies, niches, are marketing products and services to the public safety industry and their employees, specifically mental & behavioral health services. He can be reached for comment at ceo@influencemediasolutions.com
23,000 #1 Connections, 40,000,000 US B2B Contacts and 300,000,000 B2b/B2C email contacts as well as 1,000,000+ monthly social media reach. https://marklamplugh.com
