Adam Abdul-Jabbar, son of basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, was sentenced to 180 days which can be served as house arrest Wednesday for stabbing his Southern California neighbor with a hunting knife last year during an argument over trash cans, prosecutors said.
The victim, Raymond Windsor, who was 60 years old at the time of the incident, June 9, 2020, suffered injuries to his head, back, neck and side. Prosecutors said that Abdul-Jabbar’s actions were so severe that he fractured Windsor’s skull and that Windsor nearly died of blood loss after he collapsed outside the hospital.
Abdul-Jabbar, 29, was charged with the stabbing in August 2020.
Abdul-Jabbar, who had faced a maximum sentence of nine years in prison, pleaded guilty to three counts of assault with a deadly weapon and a count of carrying a dirk or dagger, with sentencing enhancements for inflicting great bodily injury, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office said.
Abdul-Jabbar accepted a plea offer from Orange County Superior Court Judge Derek Johnson.
Sentencing was stayed until Jan. 7 so Abdul-Jabbar can apply for home confinement instead of incarceration, the district attorney’s office said, adding that probation officials will decide whether he will be permitted home confinement.
Prosecutors objected to the plea offer, and a sentencing brief has been sealed. The district attorney’s office said it was “furious” with the sentence, claiming that the punishment did not fit the crime, and it said Windsor appeared in court Tuesday to implore the judge to send Abdul-Jabbar to prison.
“This slap on the wrist is an absolute miscarriage of justice,” District Attorney Todd Spitzer said. “This man nearly bled to death in front of the emergency room doors after being stabbed so violently over and over that his skull was fractured. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office vehemently objected to this court offer of 6 months — which could potentially be served as home confinement — because we believe the complete disregard for human life over a dispute over trashcans is so egregious it warranted prison time. The victim in this case has not only suffered serious physical issues, he is suffering from the trauma of having to relive this violent attack every day he walks out into his front yard. This is nothing short of appalling.”
Shawn Holley, Abdul-Jabbar’s attorney, said in a emailed statement that “the facts underlying this matter are highly disputed.”
“What isn’t disputed is that Adam immediately called 911 and fully cooperated with law enforcement. The other party did not. Adam’s account was bolstered by those who know both parties. In order to move on with his life, Adam agreed to plead guilty for 2 years probation and 180 days of house arrest.”
