It has come to our attention that there are several versions of an email circulating on the Internet that in some cases attributes "a police officer for Washington County, Minnesota", "a client from within the Sheriff's Dept. of Washington County, MN", "a DARE officer", or appears to have come from a county employee. 

This email, in part warns readers not to flash their headlights at on-coming cars since it claims that gang member initiations call for new gang members to shoot at any car flashing it's lights (this warning varies in the different versions of the email.)

This story, and many similar variations, are urban legends that have been making the rounds on the internet and other means for many years. The basis for this message appears to have started about 20 years ago and was also featured as one of the plotlines in the movie "Urban Legends" in 1998. With the growth of the Internet, it has crossed over into email form where it continues to circulate endlessly. Typically, the originator names a location or authoritative source to make it sound more legitimate and lend some validity to the message.

This message was not sent through the Sheriff's Office and there are no known instances of these events occurring in Minnesota or Wisconsin. Recipients are advised to delete the message, or, if the sender was someone they know, inform them that this is a hoax that has been well documented as such on various internet sites that investigate internet warnings, urban legends, and internet hoaxes as well as on the official DARE site.