Two men in Panama City, Florida, engaged in a heated argument at a Publix parking lot that later escalated to a machete fight, authorities said. Both of them were arrested and are now facing battery charges.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office detailed that the incident occurred on Tuesday, August 4. At the time, the Panama City Police Department (PCPD) had been informed of an altercation occurring at a Publix parking lot.
Arrest documents obtained by ABC7 detail that the altercation began on the road. Although the details were unspecified, police said that one of the suspects, 52-year-old Everette Krichbabum, was in his car when another vehicle pulled into the Publix parking lot and stopped near him.
An affidavit stated that the other driver, 35-year-old James Tristan Gay, began confronting Krichbabum. Allegedly, the elder man had harassed Gay earlier, although no details about this prior incident were shared.
Machete Meets Hatchet
As a result, both men engaged in a heated argument once they exited their respective vehicles. The confrontation escalated shortly after Gay returned to his car.
He reemerged with a machete, the police said. Meanwhile, Krichbabum was accused of arming himself with a hatchet.
Police said that Gay hit Krichbabum with the machete while it remained in its sheath. A struggle followed, during which Krichbabum fell unconscious, the 52-year-old man said. Gay admitted that he then stomped on the elder man while he lay on the ground, the affidavit detailed.
Hospitalized and Arrested
In the end, both men sustained non-life-threatening injuries, the PCPD said. Reportedly, other than the sheathed machete hit and the subsequent stomping detailed above, Gay and Krichbabum suffered injuries to their hands.
Both men were hospitalized shortly after the incident. A day later, the PCPD charged them both with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
Krichbabum was taken into custody by the WCSO without incident at a residence located in Vernon, Florida. Gay was also booked and is named as the main aggressor, police said.
Personal Pride
During an interview with investigators, Gay stated that he was aware that he could have left the scene before the machete fight broke out, the affidavit detailed. He, however, didn’t, arguing that “personal pride” prevented him from doing so.
Meanwhile, Krichbabum told authorities that, feeling threatened by Gay and knowing he was physically limited due to his age, he decided to brandish his hatchet, which remained sheathed. According to him, he did so only to deter Gay, but it ultimately failed.