U.S. Marine Fatally Stabbed in North Carolina Street Brawl, Police Response Criticized

In a tragic and horrific incident, a U.S. Marine was fatally stabbed and left bleeding on the side of the road during a massive brawl in North Carolina. The video of the incident has sparked outrage, putting responding officers under scrutiny.

A 21-year-old U.S. Marine, Daniel Montano, was one of the individuals who was fatally stabbed during a massive fight that broke out in the early hours of April 4 in North Carolina, according to authorities.

According to the Wilmington Police Department, at around 2 a.m. on April 4, a massive fight broke out on the streets of Wilmington. Two individuals were stabbed during the fight, including Montano, who was left bleeding on the side of the road. Several videos of the incident are circulating online, showing multiple people fighting on the street.

The videos circulating on social media show multiple men fighting on the street until police arrive and use pepper-spray to break up the fight. Seconds later, the camera pans to the sidewalk, where Montano is seen hunched over a pool of blood, pointing to his neck as officers rush to help him.

As officers scrambled to help the injured man, a bystander rushed over, removed his shirt and wrapped it around Montano’s neck while applying pressure to stop the bleeding.

Both victims who were stabbed in the fight were rushed to Novant New Hanover Regional Medical Center with life-threatening injuries, according to police. Montano later succumbed to his injuries.

Montano was a Lance Cpl. assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines Regiment at Camp Lejeune, from San Bernardino, Calif.

His sister, Evyln Montano wrote on a fundraiser page set up to help support his family and cover funeral services.

“He was not only dedicated to his country, but also deeply in love with 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 sister wrote.

“Thank you for keeping our family in your thoughts and prayers,” Montano’s sister added.

Police have released a photo of the suspect, described as a man with dreadlocks wearing a denim jacket, denim jeans, a pink T-shirt and white shoes with blue and red accents. Authorities have asked anyone with information about the stabbing to contact the police department.

The Wilmington Police Department has come under scrutiny for its response to the attack caught on video, according to reports by Star News Online. However, Wilmington Police Chief Rayn Zuidema, defended the actions of the responding officers, saying they acted appropriately given the circumstances.