Two Florida men charged after machete-hatchet fight in Publix lot

Police reports say the Aug. 4 dispute between Everette Krichbaum, 52, and James Gay, 35, erupted in a Publix parking lot in Panama City over a shared romantic interest. Gay approached Krichbaum, engaged in a verbal exchange, then returned with a machete, striking Krichbaum in the face. Krichbaum answered by swinging a hatchet, and the two men exchanged blows, leaving Gay with a deep cut on his pinky and an abdominal puncture, and Krichbaum with multiple facial and hand lacerations.

Both were hospitalized, then arrested; Gay was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, while Krichbaum faced aggravated battery causing bodily harm or disability. Gay, previously convicted in a 2011 killing and released in June 2024, is representing himself; Krichbaum’s attorney status remains unknown. As of Aug. 7, both remain detained in the Bay County Jail.