A slight correction: I'm a crime Reporter at the Edmonton Journal and the source of the "if you tried to corner him..." quote. I was the only media member at that meeting in MacKay.

RCMP did not call the meeting. They weren't even there, at least before I was asked to leave. It was actually a community meeting called in response to an increase in brazen thefts and crimes in the area, not specifically the McCann case. The citizens wished to set up a community watch: increasing signage, recording license plates, keeping communication lines open.

Ed Vader made his comments in reaction to events of that day (the identification of Travis Vader as a person of interest). His warning was against the idea of vigilante-styled responses to the thefts, using the example of his estranged son (and tacitly identifying him as one of those responsible for crime in the area).

It was a pretty explosive quote, but I want to ensure that it's in context.