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A U.S. Marine was stabbed to death during a chaotic downtown brawl in North Carolina early Sunday, and police released surveillance images showing the person of interest sought in connection to the fatal incident.
Lance Cpl. Daniel Montano, 21, was one of two men stabbed during the incident in Downtown Wilmington and later died from his injuries, according to the Wilmington Police Department and his family.
Officers responded at around 2 a.m. to reports of multiple fights in the 100 block of North Front Street in Wilmington, police said. The area, which is about 70 miles from Camp Lejeune, is a popular destination for Marines stationed at the East Coast’s largest Marine Corps base.
Video of the police response that has been circulating online shows officers deploying pepper spray before they encounter Montano, who was standing, bent over and bleeding heavily on a sidewalk.
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The video then shows a bystander helping Montano to a fence before he collapsed and tried to render aid as officers approached.
Police said the second male stabbing victim initially ran from the scene, but officers later found him and applied a tourniquet that helped save his life.
Montano was assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune, according to his family.
His relatives described him as a devoted Marine and a source of light in their lives.
“Daniel proudly served as a United States Marine, assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines Regiment at Camp Lejeune. He was not only dedicated to his country, but also deeply loved by his family. To us, he was more than a Marine — he was a son, a brother, and someone who brought so much light into our lives,” his family wrote on a GoFundMe page created to help cover funeral expenses.
The Wilmington Police Department said it “extends its condolences to Montano’s family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
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Investigators are searching for a person of interest seen in surveillance images released by the department.
Police described him as an adult Black male with a medium build, wearing a light-colored fleece-lined denim jacket and jeans, a pink shirt and white sneakers with blue and red accents. He was also wearing a dark blue head covering that appeared to be a durag, with long hair visible.
Police are asking anyone who was in the downtown area between midnight and 3 a.m. to come forward with information, including photos, videos or surveillance footage.
Police in North Carolina have come under scrutiny over their response, and the city’s police chief defended officers’ actions.
The video shows officers deploying pepper spray before approaching a bleeding victim during the early morning incident in Wilmington.
Wilmington Police Chief Ryan Zuidema said the footage does not reflect everything officers faced.
“They have no idea who is who,” Zuidema said during a Wednesday media briefing, according to the Wilmington StarNews. “They don’t know who’s a suspect, who’s a victim.”
Zuidema said the situation was fluid and dangerous, with officers trying to determine whether suspects were still nearby and whether there were more victims.
“They’re dealing with trying to assess what’s going on there,” he said.
The chief added that one officer had been exposed to pepper spray, while another called for gloves before helping the victim, in line with department protocol. Officers also called for emergency medical services at the scene, he said.
Authorities have not said what sparked the brawl.
Fox News Digital has requested further comment from the Wilmington Police Department.
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In a separate nearby incident around the same time, a 22-year-old woman was stabbed and hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, police said.
Authorities arrested Jazya Muldrow-Green, 20, in connection with that case and charged her with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury.
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