A Portland, Oregon, jury has cleared Gary Edwards, a black man, of second-degree assault charges for stabbing Gregory Howard Jr., a white man, after it was revealed that the victim used a racial slur following the attack.

Edwards, 43, was found not guilty of the charges on July 7, as reported by KPTV. He admitted to stabbing Howard Jr., 43, but claimed it was in self-defense after the victim used racial slurs, Oregon Live reported.

Both men are homeless and have lengthy criminal records. Video footage from transit cameras showed Edwards approaching Howard, who was sitting on a bench, from behind with a knife in his hand. The altercation escalated into a scuffle against a wall, leading to Howard being stabbed in the shoulder.

Despite no audio on the video, Edwards’ defense attorney, Daniel Small, told the jury that his client was approaching Howard to trade his knife for cigarettes. Police body camera footage captured Howard using the racial slur after the attack, with conflicting testimonies about when the slur was used.

The prosecution argued that the racial slur was irrelevant to the case and maintained that Edwards was in control throughout the attack. Despite the conflicting narratives, Edwards was acquitted on October 31.

Edwards has prior convictions for attempted assault and a separate stabbing incident. Howard, on the other hand, has a history of criminal offenses, including a felony rape conviction in Kitsap County, WA, in 1997.