An inflatable field tent at the scene in Water Street near the Liver Building in Liverpool after a 53-year-old white British man was arrested when a car ploughed into a crowd of people during Liverpool FC's Premier League victory parade
An inflatable field tent at the scene in Water Street near the Liver Building in Liverpool after a 53-year-old white British man was arrested when a car ploughed into a crowd of people during Liverpool FC's Premier League victory parade
Following an incident in Liverpool, Police promptly identified the suspect as a 53-year-old white man from Merseyside, a swift release of information aimed at countering online misinformation.
This approach marks a change from the Southport attack, where delayed information led to misinformation and far-right unrest.
Peter Williams from Liverpool John Moores University noted the shift in Merseyside Police's information management, contrasting it with criticism received after the Southport incident.
Dal Babu, former Metropolitan Police chief superintendent, called the quick release of the suspect's ethnicity and race "unprecedented," likely intended to dispel speculation of an Islamist attack.
While officials like Steve Rotherham supported the decision to counter online speculation, Helen King, former Merseyside Police assistant chief constable, cautioned against expecting such disclosures routinely, citing risks to ongoing investigations and court cases.