selected ufo cases
Sightings by Police
Belgium Triangle UFO Sightings
October, 1989 - Belgium
From October 1989 throughout 1990, hundreds of reports of lighted objects, frequently described as enormous and triangular in shape were recorded in Belgium. Air Force supersonic F-16 jets chased these strange objects, which were simultaneously tracked by both airborne and ground radars. The Belgian Government cooperated fully with civilian UFO investigators, an action without precedent in the history of government involvement in this field. View full report
Source: Don Berliner ID: 1125
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Body Lights, Military, Mass Sighting, Witness Sketch, Radar, Police
Police officer and others see dirigible-shaped UFO over Keene, NH
October, 16, 1984 - Keene, New Hampshire, United States
On Oct. 16,1984, a mysterious craft was seen over Keene near Route 12. Keene police Sgt. John C. Zeller got the call and drove out to the highway to see what was going on. He caught sight of something in the sky and shined his cruiser's spotlight on a white, dirigible-shaped object before it moved off. The following night it was back, hovering above Keene again. A lot of people reported something strange during those two nights. View full report
Source: Paul Montgomery, The Keene Sentinel (Keene, NH), Sept. 25, 1992 ID: 762
Case Type: PressReport Features: Police, Witness Photo, Interaction/Reaction
Police constable Alan Godfrey's abduction in West Yorkshire, England
November, 28, 1980 - Todmorden, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Police officer Alan Godfrey was on routine patrol when he encountered a metallic disc with a dome and a row of windows. Suddenly, there was a burst of light, and he found himself 100 yards farther down the road, and the UFO was gone. Under hypnosis later, Godfrey recalled being struck by a beam of light which floated him into the craft, and meeting a human-like being named Joseph, whose clothing was very Biblical in nature. Aboard the craft, he was physically examined and asked questions. View full report
Source: Jenny Randles ID: 722
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Abduction, Missing Time, Police, E-M Effects, Portholes/Windows, Witness Sketch, Witness Photo
Star-shaped objects observed for several nights over Ingolstadt, Germany
September, 6, 1979 - Ingolstadt, Germany
Star-shaped objects were observed for several nights in September 1979 over the city of Ingolstadt. Since that time members of MUFON-CES, the German UFO research organization, have interviewed several flight controllers, a dozen police officers and numerous other witnesses. They have also analyzed photographs and radar recordings that where made on film. View full report
Source: Illobrand von Ludwiger / MUFON-CES, (1998) ID: 653
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Group Sighting, Police, Pilot/Aircrew
Two police officers in UK encounter UFO (researcher Tony Dodd's sighting)
December, 12, 1978 - Skipton, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom
At 4:30 a.m., a lonely police patrol car was driving on a remote country road along the Cononley Moor. In the car were Sgt. Anthony Dodd and Constable Alan Dale. They saw a bright white light that seemed to be diving towards them in a glide. a big shining disc which flew over their heads at a speed of about 40 mph. At its closest, it was hardly 100 feet away from them, so that they could see a number of details. "It was a huge thing, about 100 feet in diameter, and it made no noise whatsoever." View full report
Source: Michael Hesemann ID: 662
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Police, Body Lights, Silent, Portholes/Windows, Witness Sketch, Witness Photo
Cigar‑shaped object with curved tail seen by several, including police officer
November, 26, 1978 - Clarenville, Newfoundland, Canada
"Both Mr. Lethbridge and Constable Blackwood describe the same thing: A cigar‑shaped object with a curved tail, in the sky with blue, red and yellow flashing lights. It ranged from about thirty‑five to forty feet in diameter and hovered approximately five hundred feet above sea level with no movement. " View full report
Source: Lee Tizzard - Brian Vike, HBCCUFO.org ID: 583
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Police, Witness Sketch, Communication
Police officer observes and photographs disc in Colfax, Wisconsin
April, 19, 1978 - Colfax, Wisconsin, United States
On April 19, 1978, police officer Mark Coltrane was on patrol in the vicinity of Colfax. He then noticed a metalic looking disc raising towards the the sky at a short distance from the parking space. While the object seemed to move towards him, Coltrane picked up his Polaroid camera, came out of the car and snapped some photographs. The object was so close in one of the images that it is possible to notice some details of its lower surface. View full report
Source: Wendelle Stevens (credit: UFOs at Close Sight (Ufologie.net) ID: 877
Case Type: SummaryReport Features: Photo, E-M Effects, Police
UFO hovers over two policemen in patrol car
February, 10, 1977 - Flora, Mississippi, United States
Madison County Sheriff's Deputy Kenneth Creel and Constable James Luke were on a routine patrol drive when they witnessed a 30 to 40 foot UFO which approached them at close range. "The thing came right over the car," said Creel. "...The thing just hovered over us, about 20 or 30 feet up, for more than a minute." View full report
Source: Madison Co. Herald (Canton, MS), Feb. 17, 1977 ID: 425
Case Type: Features: Police
Repeat sightings in South Dakota
November, 27, 1976 - Milbank, South Dakota, United States
Police radio dispatcher witnesses a large, somewhat egg-shaped object, blue at its base, but flashing multi-colored lights (mostly red) higher up and having two protruding legs or antennae. Object returns again on three separate occasions. View full report
Source: William M. Moore, APRO Bulletin, Vol. 25 No. 5 (Nov. 1976) ID: 352
Case Type: StandardCase Features: E-M Effects, Police
Police officer has repeat sighting
April, 22, 1976 - Elmwood, Wisconsin, United States
At about 11 p.m., George Wheeler, a relief policeman at the town of Elmwood, WI, encountered a strange glowing object which he estimated was about 500 feet distant and hovering about 100 feet off the ground. There were six bluish-white lights, windows or portholes on the side and he could see shadows as if someone was moving inside of it. This case involves apparent electro-mechanical effects, multiple witnesses, and possible animal reaction. View full report
Source: APRO Bulletin, Vol. 24 No. 10 (Apr 1976) ID: 341
Case Type: StandardCase Features: E-M Effects, Police, Animal Reaction, Multiple UFOs, Witness Photo, Witness Sketch, Portholes/Windows
Multiple witnesses observe large boomerang-shaped object over motorway
1975 - New York, United States
From the witness: "It was approximately the size of a high school football field, but not quite as wide. It had lights on each end and in the middle with blue square lights all across the back end of the wings.... We noticed that there was absolutely no sound at all and that it didn't fluctuate or "flutter" and that it just floated in the air. We saw structure, that is we saw the body of the vehicle. No rivets or seams, just the silver/grey color of the body." View full report
Source: Brian Vike, HBCCUFO Research (hbccufo.org) ID: 1066
Case Type: RawReport Features: Police, Silent, E-M Effects, Body Lights, Vehicle Encounter
Danish police officer has two close encounters (the Maarup sightings)
August, 13, 1970 - Hadersley, Denmark
Danish police officer Evald Maarup was driving through the countryside near Hadersley, when he encountered a brilliantly lit UFO. Suddenly there was a fierce light beaming down on him, his car engine cut out, and the car lights and his radio stopped working. Above him, Maarup could make out a large circular object which he watched for about five minutes, before it moved away rapidly. Three years later, Maarup had another encounter with the same or a similar object at exactly the same place. View full report
Source: UFOs at Close Sight - Ufologie.net ID: 734
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Vehicle Encounter, Vehicle Interference, E-M Effects, Police, Light Beam, Witness Sketch, Witness Photo
Police Officer Herbert Schirmer Abduction
December, 3, 1967 - Ashland, Nebraska, United States
Sgt. Schirmer was on patrol when he encountered a UFO hovering above the road, which shot up when he flashed his high beams at the object. Soon, Schirmer realized he had experienced "missing time", and a red welt appeared on his neck. Hypnotic sessions revealed that the occupants of the landed craft came and took Schirmer aboard, and communicated with him through some form of mental telepathy. They told him that they would visit him twice more and that some day he would "see the universe". View full report
Source: Brent Raynes ID: 659
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Abduction, Police, Missing Time, Contact, Physiological Effects, Artifact, Polygraph Test, Witness Sketch, Witness Photo
Sheriff reveals 1966 UFO encounter and death of dog
August, 9, 1966 - Richmond , Virginia, United States
"I happened to look up and there was that UFO right above the cornfield, it was just hovering right up above the power lines" about 200 feet in the air, Mathews said. The craft, which Mathews described as white and about 30 feet in diameter, made hardly a sound and emitted no light. "It was just like the ones you see on TV," Mathews said. View full report
Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch (Virginia), October, 1999 ID: 1073
Case Type: PressReport Features: Police, Animal Reaction, Interaction/Reaction, Silent
Portage County, Ohio UFO Chase
April, 17, 1966 - Portage County, Ohio, United States
One of the most dramatic encounters by police officers with an apparently structured, low-level UFO. Officers chased the object for eighty-five miles, as it seemed to play a cat-and-mouse game with them. This case was the basis for the UFO "chase" in the film 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind.' View full report
Source: Richard Hall, NICAP website ID: 79
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Police, Witness Sketch, Humming
Sheriffs Watch High-Performance Discs (The Michigan Sightings / 'Swamp Gas' Case)
March, 14, 1966 - Dexter-Hillsdale, Michigan, United States
Washtenaw County sheriffs and police in neighboring jurisdictions reported disc-shaped objects moving at fantastic speeds and making sharp turns, diving and climbing, and hovering. At one point, four UFOs in straight-line formation were observed. Selfridge AFB confirmed tracking UFOs over Lake Erie at 4:56 a.m. Their stories were backed up by more than 100 witnesses View full report
Source: FUFOR (Fund for UFO Research) ID: 778
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Police, Radar, Witness Sketch, Group Sighting, Mass Sighting
South African constables observe disc-shaped object resting on highway
September, 16, 1965 - Pretoria, South Africa
On the night of September 16 two Pretoria, S. Africa, constables came upon a disc-shaped object resting on the highway. The headlights of their police van illuminated the copper-colored object which appeared to be about 30 feet in diameter. On top of the UFO was a small dome. In seconds the UFO suddenly lifted off the road, emitting tongues of flame. View full report
Source: NICAP (National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomenon), ID: 555
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Police, Physical Trace, Landing
Patrol Car Illuminated by UFO
September, 3, 1965 - Damon, Texas, United States
Purple and blue lights were attached to opposite ends of an enormous object, hovering about 150 feet from witnesses at about a 100-foot altitude. Object appeared to be triangular shaped, about 200 feet wide and 40-50 feet thick in the middle, tapering off toward both ends. View full report
Source: FUFOR, U.S. Air Force-Project Blue Book, Donald Keyhoe 'UFOs A New Look' ID: 38
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Police, Witness Photo
The Incident at Exeter (Muscarello Case)
September, 3, 1965 - Exeter, New Hampshire, United States
Norman Muscarello, a teenage Navy recruit, was walking down a quiet country highway at night, when suddenly, a huge object loomed above him. Thus began the "Incident at Exeter," a series of sightings officially qualified as "unidentified." The encounters that night took special precedence over other UFO sightings because of the credibility of two Exeter police officers who also saw the UFO, as well as that of the dispatcher and supervising officer who first heard Muscarello's account. View full report
Source: The Portsmouth Herald (Portsmouth, NH), Sept. 2, 2005 ID: 426
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Police, Animal Reaction, Witness Photo
Socorro / Zamora UFO Incident
April, 24, 1964 - Socorro, New Mexico, United States
The experience of Lonnie Zamora on April 24, 1964 stands as one of the most profound ufo events in the modern history of the phenomena. Lonnie Zamora saw a highly unusual device of unknown origin, what can only be described as a "craft" of some kind, and he reported seeing what he believes were occupants. View full report
Source: Chris Lambright ID: 90
Case Type: MajorCase Features: Humanoid/Occupant, Physical Trace, Landing, Police, Witness Photo, Witness Sketch
Disc-shaped UFO, larger than full moon, seen by police officers and others
September, 26, 1963 - Sunnyvale, California, United States
During the early morning of September 26, 1963, a UFO was sighted by people in scattered locations around the San Francisco Bay area. Officer Galen Anderson of Sunnvale Police Dept. observed the UFO for 45 seconds and submitted a particularly detailed report. This object appeared larger than a full moon, according to Officer Anderson, about basketball size at about 8 feet away. View full report
Source: NICAP / Richard Hall, 1964 (reported in San Jose Mercury News and SF Chronicle) ID: 645
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Police, Group Sighting
Disc landing in reservoir, part of series of sightings in New Jersey
September, 15, 1962 - Oradell, New Jersey, United States
A series of New Jersey police sightings after a reported disc landing in a reservoir. The action began on September 15, when two shiny discs were seen by multiple independent witnesses. On September 21, four Hawthorne police officers watched a device with two beams like headlights. Just after midnight, September 24, the same or a similar device was seen over the quarry by over a dozen Hawthorne police officers and the chief reporter of the N. J. State Press, George Della Penta. View full report
Source: Waterufo.net / NICAP UFO Investigator, Oct/Nov 1962 ID: 796
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Police, Water-Related, Multiple UFOs
Red Bluff Incident
August, 13, 1960 - Red Bluff, California, United States
California Highway Patrol Officers Charles A. Carson and Stanley Scott were on patrol when they sighted what they thought was an airliner about to crash. When the UFO had descended to about 100 or 200 feet altitude it suddenly reversed direction and climbed to 500 ft. Description: round or oblong surrounded by a glow (color not mentioned) and having definite red lights at each end. They continued to watch the UFO as it performed "unbelievable" aerial feats. (NICAP, 1964) View full report
Source: Loy Lawhon, About.com ID: 107
Case Type: MajorCase Features: E-M Effects, Radar, Police
Two patrolmen see glowing red UFO in New Jersey
December, 20, 1958 - Dunellen, New Jersey, United States
Patrolmen LeRoy A. Arboreen and B. Talada were on night patrol when they saw an object coming from the west. "At first it looked like a red hot piece of coal about the size of a quarter held at arm's length. In a matter of seconds it was as large as a ruler held at arm's length... The body of the object was solid bright red and it gave off a pulsating red glow... The object hovered a few seconds, then made a left turn and again hovered for a few seconds, then went straight up like a shot." View full report
Source: NICAP / Richard Hall (1964) from NICAP case report ID: 639
Case Type: StandardCase Features: Police, Witness Sketch
