SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - A jury has acquitted a defendant who claimed he acted in self-defense when he shot and killed a man during a confrontation on a Dells Rapid street in 2016.

Twenty-four-year-old Alex Wittenberg was found not guilty Tuesday night of second-degree murder and first- and second-degree manslaughter in the death of 39-year-old Jonathan Puttmann. The two men fought when Wittenberg accompanied Puttmann’s estranged wife who was dropping off the couple’s children at Puttmann’s house on Nov. 15, 2016.

The Argus Leader says the jury deliberated about 9½ before acquitting Wittenberg on all counts.

Prosecutors argued that even though Puttmann threw the first punch, he did not deserve to be shot. The defense said the rules of self-defense don’t require those accused to wait to be seriously injured before defending themselves.

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Information from: Argus Leader, http://www.argusleader.com