22-05-2025
Shawn Kemp lawyers claim bias in Tacoma Mall shooting case as trial nears
The Brief
Shawn Kemp's attorneys have filed a series of motions relating to his first-degree assault charge from a 2023 shooting at Tacoma Mall.
Kemp allegedly confronted two men with lengthy criminal histories after tracking his stolen phone, leading to a shootout captured on video.
The trial begins next week, but police and prosecutors may dispute Kemp's self-defense claim.
TACOMA, Wash. - The attorneys of Shawn Kemp have filed a series of motions in the case against him for a 2023 shooting at the Tacoma Mall.
Kemp's lawyers claim his first-degree assault charge stems from an encounter involving two men with a lengthy criminal history, who allegedly shot at the former SuperSonic before he returned fire.
The trial is scheduled to begin next week, with pre-trial hearings starting on Thursday.
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.
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
Now, two years later, Kemp's defense has filed a series of motions in the case, citing bias and the criminal history of Jackson and Puente.
Jackson is currently incarcerated at the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center in Connell, Washington, for shooting a man three times at a Renton gas station. Court documents state Jackson said in an interview that "he was running from Shawn Kemp" on the day of the shooting.
Puente has previous convictions for theft, vehicle prowling, possession of a stolen vehicle, attempting to elude police, assault, and several more crimes in western Washington.
"Evidence of Jackson's and Puente's bias, motivation to testify and Jackson's ongoing attempts to harm Mr. Kemp is exceptionally relevant," states a memorandum from Kemp's defense.
While Kemp claims he fired in self-defense, police have not corroborated this claim, and said witness video shows otherwise. Prosecutors also say Kemp sent a text before the incident suggesting he may have intended to shoot someone.
Kemp was charged over a month following the shooting with first-degree assault. The trial is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, May 27.
The Source
Information in this story came from court documents filed in Pierce County Superior Court, the Department of Corrections, and previous FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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