Slain U.S. sailor tried to end fight

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia --
An American sailor killed during an early morning bar brawl in
Halifax was a "Good Samaritan" trying to break up a fight he
wasn't even involved in, police said Sunday.
Damon Crooks, 28, of Jacksonville, Fla., was stabbed early
Saturday outside a downtown club after a fight that began
inside spilled onto the street.
Cory Wright, 23, of Halifax, was charged Sunday with
first-degree murder. Two other local men face lesser charges.
Crooks and at least one other sailor, who was taken to a
hospital with minor injuries, apparently tried to break up
a fight that escalated into a brawl involving about 20 people,
said police spokeswoman Theresa Brien.
Brien said police don't think the two seamen were targeted
because they were American sailors.
She said there were other U.S. sailors at the scene, although
it wasn't clear whether any of the Americans involved
were in uniform at the time.
"There was a disturbance unrelated to the American
sailors, where a local individual was being assaulted,"
Brien said. "It looks like the American sailors attempted
to intervene as Good Samaritans, at which point the
disturbance escalated."
Crooks was stationed on the USS Doyle, one of two
American naval vessels in Halifax to take part in exercises
with the Canadian navy.