According to the CC, this is a copy of an internal email sent to every City of Washougal staff member before the story broke in the Columbian. Enjoy.

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Just so you are not surprised tonight or tomorrow, I am told that there may be a news story about a traffic stop that I was involved in while in a city vehicle.

On Christmas Eve I was taking a needy family (mother and two children) home from a Christmas present shopping trip.  While on I-5, I was behind a vehicle in the left, inside lane of three lanes.  The vehicle ahead was going under the speed limit with room to the right to move over.  I flashed my high beams at the vehicle 2-3 times in an attempt to get them to move out of the passing lane.  At the time there was also a WSP trooper behind me who saw me flash the vehicle ahead of me and subsequently pulled me over.  When the trooper saw that the vehicle was a city vehicle and still has a radio/light/siren console, he asked if it was in fact a police vehicle.  I replied that I believed that it is still officially part of the police department fleet and explained my involvement with the city and that the vehicle is assigned to me.

The rumor is now out there that I was using the “emergency lights” on the vehicle to move slower traffic out of the way.

Just so everyone is aware, the vehicle I am assigned from the City does not have “emergency lights” or a siren or a radio.  All of those devices were either taken out or disabled before it was assigned to me.  The only functioning part that still exists is emergency flashers that are built into the tail light assembly in the rear of the vehicle.

My apologies to you that Washougal will likely end up in a news story, especially since it was me that landed us there.  My goal has been to keep us OUT of the papers, except for good news articles.

I appreciate all of you and the job that you are doing for our city. 

Respectfully,

Sean Guard

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