Lt. John Deegins said Thompson and Halley were working at Buddy’s Seafood Market when they got into an argument “about the amount of spice to put into the restaurant’s gumbo.”
Deegins said the argument “quickly escalated” when Thompson armed himself with a wooden board and Halley with a small pocket knife. The initial altercation ended after a “quick skirmish” in which Thompson retreated, but Thompson later returned with a knife and was seen on surveillance video “swinging and thrusting the knife at Halley.”
And some mighty good swinging and thrusting it must have been, for never again shall Caleb Halley spice another gumbo, while Orlando Thompson may only get the chance to do so in a prison kitchen after being arrested in connection with the fatal incident.
Which end of the spice spectrum each man was on was not reported.