TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — Former NBA star Shawn Kemp pleaded guilty to an assault charge on Tuesday for shooting at two men inside a vehicle in a Washington state mall parking lot.
Kemp, 55, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault in Pierce County Superior Court in Tacoma as part of a plea agreement, according to the county Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. The Toyota 4Runner the men were inside and another vehicle were damaged in the March 2023 shooting, but the men were not hurt.
Kemp was initially charged with one count of first-degree assault with a firearm enhancement, but prosecutors last week added another count of assault as well as a drive-by shooting charge, The Seattle Times reported. Convictions on those charges could have resulted in a lengthy prison term.
He will be sentenced in August. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Thomas Howe recommended that Kemp be sentenced to nine months in jail, one year of Department of Corrections supervision and support after he is released, and to pay restitution.
Kemp, a six-time NBA all-star who played for the Seattle SuperSonics from 1989 to 1997, declined to comment to the newspaper on Tuesday.
“Shawn is committed to moving forward in a positive direction,” Kemp’s attorney, Tim Leary, told the Times. “He was presented with an offer from the state that allows him to take responsibility, but I think also recognizes the self-defense nature of how this transpired.”
According to court documents filed by Kemp's attorneys, Kemp and several employees who worked at his cannabis dispensary were at a Seattle concert venue when Kemp’s truck was broken into on March 8, 2023. An employee's purse was stolen along with keys to Kemp's business, a cellphone, paperwork and sports memorabilia, including game-worn Gary Payton and Kemp jerseys that were to be auctioned off for charity, the defense's trial brief says.
Using a phone tracking app, Kemp located and briefly tried to talk to the driver of the 4Runner that was circling a casino parking lot, according to the trial brief. The men in the vehicle afterward dumped some of Kemp’s belongings but hung on to the phone, the brief says.
Kemp later saw his phone was near the Tacoma Mall. He drove there, spotted the same 4Runner and “expressed his understandable frustration” with the driver, according to the brief.
The brief says a man in the back seat “fired off a round from a handgun at Mr. Kemp. Mr. Kemp returned fire and attempted to disable the Toyota. It did not work.” The 4Runner fled and when the vehicle was found abandoned days later, an empty holster was found inside but there was no gun, documents said.
A police call log included in court records indicates that at least one witness who called 911 reported that two men were firing at each other.
Howe, in a statement explaining the plea agreement, wrote that because of the two witnesses’ past crimes of dishonesty and the “fact that those people were illegally in possession” of Kemp’s belongings, the case should be resolved short of trial.
As part of his plea, Kemp cannot have a firearm and will be required to provide a sample for a law enforcement DNA database.
Kemp debuted in the NBA during the 1989-90 season as a 20-year-old who had never played college basketball. He also played for Cleveland, Portland and Orlando and was known for his high-flying dunks.
Former NBA star Shawn Kemp watches during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.
The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.
About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.
“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”
The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.
The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.
“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”
New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.
"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.
The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.
The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.
Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.
The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.
The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.
Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.
Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”
“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.
State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”
The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.
It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.
Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
