Thursday was an emotional day in court after one of the accused charged with killing Said Hadbai testified in his own defense.

Jermaine Phillips told the jury he went downtown on December 27th of 2011 with a package of drugs and a saw-off shotgun.

He said he thought a drug deal was going to go down, instead when he got to Richmond Street, he learned that his friend Drai O'Hara-Salmon was about to get into a fight with the victim, Said Hadbai.

Phillips said they took off their jackets but that Hadbai pulled something out of his pocket.

"It was black and shiny. I just thought it was a gun. I pulled out my gun and ran beside Drai."

"I observed Said running at me and Drai, I panicked and I shot the gun," Phillips said in court

O'Hara-Salmon and Phillips are both charged with first degree murder.

As he described the shooting incident, Said Hadbai's mother started crying and she walked out of the courtroom.

Phillips himself broke down and started sobbing while testifying.

Phillips said after the shooting. "I saw Said stumble and fall. I saw that there was a knife beside him."

He went on to say, "My life and my friend's life was in danger, I thought he was going to shoot because I thought he had a gun."

Earlier in the trial, a number of witnesses testified that Hadbai and O'Hara-Salmon were preparing for what was supposed to be a fist fight.

The trial continues.