A fight over a jacket apparently precipitated a stabbing at a covered barbecue area in Oak Harbor’s Windjammer Park Jan. 23, court records indicate.

Williams Lounsberry pleaded not guilty in Island County Superior Court March 9 to a first-degree assault charge. He’s being held in jail on $50,000 bail.

According to police, Lounsberry and the victim, 47-year-old Larry Gullage, are both transients and were trying to cook a frozen pizza on a barbecue grill, as well as drinking beer and watching a movie on a laptop computer, when the violence erupted.

According to a report by Detective Ron Hofkamp, Gullage claimed that Lounsberry tried to steal his jacket. When Gullage attempted to get it back, Lounsberry stabbed him below the arm pit with a “Rambo style” knife, the report states.

Gullage said he punched Lounsberry numerous times after being stabbed, which knocked Lounsberry down. Gullage went to the men’s bathroom and wrapped an old shirt around himself, then walked to the 7-Eleven store and asked for help.

Lounsberry, however, claimed that Gullage started to hit him in the face for no reason, the report states. He denied stabbing the other man or having a knife.

Gullage was transported to Whidbey General Hospital, where he underwent surgery to repair a couple of small arteries, the report indicates.