It's rarely a good thing when somebody comes up to you and asks: 'Do you remember me?'

A Dorchester man went on trial this week on charges he murdered another man in revenge for getting shot in the face by the man's friends 12 years earlier.

Ernest Ferguson, 35, is accused of gunning down Bryan Whitsey of Brockton on Aug. 5, 2005, while Whitsey was visiting relatives in Dorchester. According to the Suffolk County DA's office:

Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Hickman expects to present evidence proving that Ferguson approached Whitsey as he socialized with others at about 4:30 that afternoon.

"Do you remember me?" Ferguson allegedly asked.

When Whitsey replied in the negative, Ferguson allegedly produced a handgun from his pocket, prompting Whitsey to run. Ferguson allegedly chased the victim and fired on him, striking Whitsey in the leg and causing him to fall.

Ferguson then allegedly walked over to the fallen man and fired at least three more times before running away.

Prosecutors allege that 12 years earlier, some friends of Whitsey had held up Ferguson, who then came after him with a gun - at which point one of the robbers shot Ferguson in the face.