LEBANON – The Maine Department of Public Safety is warning about misinformation spread by a Facebook page called Maine Police & Fire Alerts.

Officials say it spread false information during the search for a man accused of killing a deputy sheriff last week and falsely reported a state lawmaker in Lebanon had died this week.

Lebanon state Rep. Karen Gerrish said she had to scramble to let everyone know she was OK.

Maine Public Safety Department spokesman Stephen McCausland called the report “outrageous” and said the website isn’t to be trusted.

The administrator of the page with more than 37,000 followers said Thursday he posts “real news in real time.” WCSH-TV identified him as Gregory Powers in January. He said he likes listening to a police scanner and created the page for “fun and entertainment.”