Jury deliberations began Sunday evening in the case of a man charged with second-degree murder for fatally shooting retired New Orleans Saints star Will Smith after an April 9 car crash.

Cardell Hayes, 29, took the stand a day earlier to tell jurors he only fired after Smith pulled a gun from his damaged SUV following that crash — and only after hearing what he thought was a gunshot as Smith and another man berated him after the crash.

But, during the week-long trial, Hayes was the only witness to say Smith handled a gun that night.

Prosecutors said he was lying and that ballistics tests indicated that the only gun fired was fired by Hayes.

State district Judge Camille Buras told jurors they could find Hayes not guilty, guilty as charged or guilty of the lesser crimes of manslaughter or negligent homicide. The second-degree murder charge carries a mandatory life sentence.