Police Have Chased UFOs

By Pete Hartinger  The Circleville Herald    Friday, Dec 16, 2005

     One of the classic cases in UFO history occurred on April 17, 1966. It first involved two sheriffs deputies near Ravenna, Ohio. At approximately 5 a.m., deputies Dale Spaur and Wilbur Neff observed a glowing disc-like object moving over a nearby field. A light beam from the object illuminated the road around them and they also heard a humming sound. They chased the UFO across the state line into Pennsylvania. During the 85 mile chase, the UFO would move away, gradually accelerating and outdistancing them, only to slow down until they caught up again, as if it were playing a cat and mouse game. Other police officers witnessed the UFO en route after hearing the excited communication of the Ravenna officers. Finally, after they had crossed the state line, the object hovered, then shot straight up out of sight just as jet interceptors approached to investigate. As with many classic UFOs the explanation is listed as unknown and this sighting did make the newspapers. This chase was partially depicted in Stephen Speilberg's movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."
     According to Pickaway County resident Glen Howard, Circleville has had one of their own UFO chases. Glenn is a retired Circleville police officer. He states that in the fall of 1980 he was driving to the local police station to work the night shift.  It was about 10:40 p.m. when Glenn was driving into town on Route 22 from the west. He turned south at the interchange to go toward the west end of Mound Street. When he stopped at the stop sign he was looking directly south toward Route 23. At that time he observed an egg shaped, orange glowing object heading north, approximately 10 feet above Route 23. The object was estimated to be seven to eight feet in length. There were two cruisers chasing the object with their lights flashing. One was a County Sheriffs car and the other was from the Ohio State Highway Patrol. They went past the witness at about 25 feet away, while he waited at the stop sign. The object and cars were traveling at about 60 miles an hour. Startled, Glenn continued on to the police station where he found several police officers (it was shift change) listening to the chase on the police radio. Glenn added confirmation to the chase by telling his fellow officers that he had just observed the incident. Unlike the Ravenna chase, this local one never got the publicity.
     Many law enforcement officers have seen UFOs. One who observed a UFO was Dave Burlile, who lives in Mt. Sterling. In 1958, Dave was an Ohio State highway patrolman working out of the Georgetown post.  He and his partner, Robert D. Young, were riding in Young's patrol car when they had a daytime sighting. Dave described it as a saucer shaped object hovering about 500 feet in the sky and was very distinct. They immediately went back to the patrol post and the dispatcher, Ray Mason, also observed it. Together, the three estimated the UFO to be 100 feet in diameter. After a few minutes, the UFO rose to about 1,000 feet in the sky and then slowly rose at an angle and the farther it went, the faster it went. Dave reported his sighting to the State Highway Patrol Headquarters in Wilmington. Dr. J. Allen Hynek, chief consultant to the Air Force, told Dave that it was temperature inversion in the atmosphere. After that, Dave's opinion of Hynek diminished.
     In January, 2000, the first dramatic UFO sighting of the new millennium occurred. It was in the very early morning hours of Jan. 5 and the object was seen in southwestern Illinois.  Four police officers on car patrol in four rural towns all saw it. So did at least one civilian. Each witness independently described the object the same way. Each was baffled. It was described as long as a football field, two stories high, triangular like an arrowhead. Bright lights winked from its rear. Red lights shimmered from its belly. And no one has any idea what in - or out of - the world it was. This UFO sighting has been featured for television on the History Channel.
     Over the years, there have been many UFO sightings all over the country by law enforcement officers and most of them have been very descriptive. Britain has also had many UFO police reports. These sighting reports are very important, because they were made be trained, professional observers. This is part of the evidence that I present in lectures, displays, etc.
     If you have any questions, please contact me at 740-477-6252 or e-mail me at [email protected].  Our website is www.roundtownufosociety.com.

 

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