selected ufo cases
Sightings by 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
