TUCSON (AP) — A Pima County Superior Court jury has acquitted a former Tucson resident in the fatal shooting of another man outside a bar eight years ago.

Prosecutors say 47-year-old Reginald Reed was arrested in Florida last fall on a warrant charging him with first-degree murder in the death of 39-year-old Lewis Washington. Reed was facing a potential life prison sentence if he was convicted Wednesday.

A friend of the two men testified that Reed became upset with Washington in September 2001 when he heard that Washington had called Reed's girlfriend, who is now his wife, a disparaging name.

Steven Jones also testified that he didn't cooperate with authorities for years because he feared retribution and only began helping police in the case after he was arrested on a criminal damage charge and was facing prison time.

Brandi Reed told jurors that her husband would never have killed anyone over name-calling.