Really?
The answer to your first question is: LE often follows WS threads and, yes, in the past some WS'ers have passed info on to LE.
The answer to your second question is: somebody on this thread might recognize the exact jacket once it's identified and might know a friend or relative who has that exact jacket.
The answer to your third question is: see the answers to your first two questions
If you are confident they are already "running this down" and also know what type of jacket and pack and holster and gloves and mask and - even who the perp is - for what reason do you think LE released the photos and asked: do you know who this person might be?
I applaud
@Mica's search effort and think that jacket is as close as any I've seen
Jmo