Something is missing here

Xelebes · May 28, 2015

So. . .

A man who was fired from an Edmonton pipeline company has been charged with attempted murder after one of his former co-workers was shot in a church parking lot early Monday morning.

William Hawkins, 46, of Gibbons, Alta. was tackled and held down by two of his former colleagues until police arrived.

But. . .

Usually police release the name of individuals charged with crimes. In this case, they said Hawkins could not be identified because he was arrested under the Mental Health Act.

The police news release also did not mention that the man was fired from his job and that the incident involved his former employer.

Edmonton police have been criticized by the media for withholding Hawkins' name because it violates the principle of an open court system. Alberta RCMP and the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team also make it a practice to withhold names.

Okay, I am having trouble reconciling something here.

CBC News

Ambrosia · May 28, 2015

Yep, that is very odd.

Roxxsmom · May 28, 2015

Maybe a different news outlet is reporting on this now? Or this particular story is being run in a different jurisdiction where the laws are different, so they can release that information but are commenting that they can't in the jurisdiction where this man who shall remain nameless was arrested?

Once! · May 29, 2015

The clue is the word "sources" which appears in both the title and the main body of the article.

Sources tell CBC News Hawkins was fired from his job with Somerville Pipelines last Friday.

What this means is that the police can't say anything officially, but someone (possibly a co-worker?) has given more information to the press. They don't want to be identified so they are referred to only as "a source".

I don't know the US Mental Health Act but from the article I presume it has some measure of anonymity for people charged with offences under the Act. If that's right, then the police can't tell their story but someone else has and CBC News has published it.

Xelebes · May 29, 2015

The CBC Radio 1 report this morning clarified it. It said Chief Knecht wanted to reveal the name and so he did so.

Something is missing here

Xelebes

Delerium ex Ennui

Ambrosia

Grand Duchess

Roxxsmom

Beastly Fido

Once!

Still confused by shoelaces

Xelebes

Delerium ex Ennui