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He watched his friend die

Former New Orleans Saints running back Pierre Thomas told a jury Wednesday that he thought a heated argument between retired Saints star Will Smith and an irate driver had cooled — but then he heard gunshots and turned to see his friend being gunned down.

"After the shooting stopped I stood there in shock. Telling myself that didn't happen," Thomas said, his voice shaking. "Telling myself he didn't just kill one of my friends, my former teammate."

Thomas, who spent eight seasons with the Saints, said he walked up to the SUV to confirm his fear, and peered through the passenger window to see Smith's body slouched over the steering wheel.

Nobody disputes that Smith's killer was Cardell Hayes, 29, a former semi-pro football player and owner of a tow-truck business. At dispute in the second-degree murder trial is whether Hayes legitimately feared for his life in a post-collision confrontation with Smith and others.

He also wounded Smith's wife, Racquel, in the legs, before surrendering to police at the scene.

Thomas' testimony is the latest to bolster the prosecution's scenario of how the shooting unfolded: The Smiths were out for the evening with friends after a festival in the French Quarter, and were travelling in three different vehicles.

At one point, Smith's Mercedes SUV stopped short behind an orange Hummer, perhaps lightly striking it, before steering around it and continuing downtown. Moments later, the Hummer, driven by Hayes, rammed into the rear of Smith's vehicle, and both men got out to confront each other.

Prosecutors and their witnesses say Racquel had calmed her husband and the argument had subsided when Hayes fired, hitting her in the legs, followed by a bullet to Smith's side and seven more in his back.



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