After one year and four days the Edouard Maurice incident is finally over.
The case drew headlines when Maurice, after becoming startled by a couple ransacking his vehicle at his home south of Okotoks, fired a warning shot that ricocheted off the ground and struck Ryan Randy Watson, 42, in the arm in the wee hours of Feb. 24, 2018. It came to an end when Watson was sentenced to time served — 45 days, for which he was given 1/12 days credit for 30 days served — at Okotoks provincial court on Feb. 28.
A mitigating factor in sentencing was the amount of media attention Watson received due to Edouard Maurice, who was home alone with his one-year-old daughter, being charged with weapon offences, which were later dropped.
Without a doubt, Watson’s name was splashed across newspapers, with coverage not only in the Foothills but across Canada.
Much more coverage than would come from an offence which involved looking for loose change in a vehicle for gas money as was the reason given in court for Watson being on the Maurice’s property.
The national coverage was tough on Watson, but good for bringing attention to the issue of rural crime.
A rural crime watch meeting at the Priddis Community Hall on March 4 was well attended.
Many of those at the Priddis meeting, told of being victims of rural crime in the past, they weren’t there just because of the Maurice attention.
The message came loud and clear there is nothing petty about strangers being on ones’ property and victimizing a home.
The Maurice incident is over and hopefully behind the family of four. But the issue of rural crime remains front and centre for those in the Foothills, especially with a city of 1.2 million on the doorstep. National attention about rural crime was one good result from Feb. 24, 2018.
