1 00:00:03,121 --> 00:00:05,455 >> If you're a civilian and you spot a UFO 2 00:00:05,540 --> 00:00:08,425 in your area, you don't call the military, you call 3 00:00:08,459 --> 00:00:11,511 the police department or you call your local sheriff. 4 00:00:11,629 --> 00:00:13,630 As a police officer, when you're involved 5 00:00:13,714 --> 00:00:16,633 in a UFO case, things can get tricky. 6 00:00:16,684 --> 00:00:19,886 They can get very political, and that's just the nature 7 00:00:19,971 --> 00:00:23,406 of the beast in this country. >> 10X31, clear. 8 00:00:23,474 --> 00:00:27,310 [ police radio chatter ] [ sirens wailing ] 9 00:00:28,846 --> 00:00:31,948 >> 120 West 81st Street. 10 00:00:44,962 --> 00:00:50,467 >> Ravenna, Ohio, April 17, 1966. 11 00:00:50,501 --> 00:00:53,053 >> It's just before dawn on a midnight shift 12 00:00:53,137 --> 00:00:56,890 that Deputy Sheriff Dale Spaur and Deputy Wilbur Neff 13 00:00:56,974 --> 00:01:00,594 will never forget. >> All morning 14 00:01:00,678 --> 00:01:03,396 their police radio had been filled with all sorts 15 00:01:03,481 --> 00:01:06,983 of chatter from witnesses near Akron, Ohio claiming 16 00:01:07,018 --> 00:01:09,769 to have seen a large, bright disc flying 17 00:01:09,854 --> 00:01:12,272 through the sky. [ police radio chatter ] 18 00:01:16,077 --> 00:01:17,861 >> With just a few hours left of their day, 19 00:01:17,945 --> 00:01:23,283 they noticed something unusual, an abandoned car on Route 224. 20 00:01:32,376 --> 00:01:34,711 Just as Neff is about to reach the car, 21 00:01:34,795 --> 00:01:36,630 Spaur senses something. 22 00:01:39,967 --> 00:01:43,470 In Spaur's written report, he states he feels the need 23 00:01:43,554 --> 00:01:46,106 to look behind him. [ suspenseful music ] 24 00:01:46,190 --> 00:01:47,974 [ crickets chirping ] 25 00:02:02,623 --> 00:02:04,574 [ whistles ] >> Spaur tells Neff 26 00:02:04,625 --> 00:02:06,493 to look over his shoulder. 27 00:02:13,584 --> 00:02:16,586 They're suddenly engulfed in light, and the only thing 28 00:02:16,637 --> 00:02:19,589 they can hear is a hum, like a transformer 29 00:02:19,640 --> 00:02:23,927 being overloaded. Both police officers are frozen 30 00:02:23,978 --> 00:02:27,430 underneath this light. Spaur remembers 31 00:02:27,481 --> 00:02:30,016 moving his right foot slightly to make sure he could 32 00:02:30,101 --> 00:02:32,352 still move, and when they realize they aren't 33 00:02:32,436 --> 00:02:34,938 actually paralyzed, they run as fast as they can 34 00:02:35,022 --> 00:02:36,906 for the patrol car. 35 00:02:38,526 --> 00:02:40,660 >> Can you imagine, two veteran officers 36 00:02:40,745 --> 00:02:42,946 used to dealing with local domestic issues 37 00:02:43,030 --> 00:02:45,665 now find themselves facing a UFO? 38 00:02:51,422 --> 00:02:54,341 Immediately, Spaur gets on the radio and reports 39 00:02:54,425 --> 00:02:57,844 what they just saw. Dispatch tells them 40 00:02:57,928 --> 00:03:00,513 not to move and to wait in the car, they're sending 41 00:03:00,598 --> 00:03:04,601 immediate backup. >> Spaur and Neff nervously wait 42 00:03:04,685 --> 00:03:09,973 as the light engulfs their car. >> The officers are starting 43 00:03:10,107 --> 00:03:12,642 to panic, and they're thinking, should we shoot at it 44 00:03:12,727 --> 00:03:16,946 or should we get out of here? They're absolutely terrified, 45 00:03:16,981 --> 00:03:19,649 but they have their orders to wait for backup, 46 00:03:19,734 --> 00:03:23,903 if they survive that long. >> And this is just 47 00:03:23,988 --> 00:03:26,373 the beginning of one of "Hangar 1's" 48 00:03:26,457 --> 00:03:29,492 extraordinary stories of close encounters 49 00:03:29,543 --> 00:03:32,996 with the police and UFOs, some of the best 50 00:03:33,047 --> 00:03:38,001 documented cases in MUFON's archives. 51 00:03:38,085 --> 00:03:42,088 The Mutual UFO Network, known as MUFON, 52 00:03:42,173 --> 00:03:46,676 is an independent organization not bound to any government. 53 00:03:46,761 --> 00:03:49,763 They investigate reports of UFO sightings 54 00:03:49,847 --> 00:03:53,900 from around the world. Over the past five decades, 55 00:03:53,984 --> 00:03:57,570 they have collected more than 70,000 files, 56 00:03:57,655 --> 00:04:02,609 stored at a secure location known as Hangar 1. 57 00:04:02,693 --> 00:04:08,531 Now, MUFON is granting access to their vast archive. 58 00:04:08,616 --> 00:04:12,285 These are the files of Hangar 1. 59 00:04:21,545 --> 00:04:24,047 >> Officer Spaur and Neff are engulfed in the light 60 00:04:24,131 --> 00:04:27,717 of this UFO, paralyzed with fear wondering, is this it? 61 00:04:27,852 --> 00:04:33,022 Is this how we're going to die? But then, inexplicably... 62 00:04:35,476 --> 00:04:38,478 the UFO just takes off. 63 00:04:41,482 --> 00:04:44,067 They're stunned and relieved and once they regain 64 00:04:44,118 --> 00:04:46,736 their composure, they do the unthinkable. 65 00:04:46,871 --> 00:04:51,991 They actually chase this thing. [ sirens wailing ] 66 00:04:55,663 --> 00:04:58,832 >> These two officers are actually pursuing this UFO, 67 00:04:58,916 --> 00:05:00,917 going about 100 miles an hour 68 00:05:01,001 --> 00:05:05,638 Though it's the Pennsylvania border along U.S. Route 224. 69 00:05:08,426 --> 00:05:12,429 >> As the sun rises, the UFO continues traveling east 70 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:17,901 approaching the Pennsylvania state line. 71 00:05:17,985 --> 00:05:21,521 >> Patrolman Frank Panzanella, Conway, Pennsylvania is sitting 72 00:05:21,605 --> 00:05:25,492 in his squad car drinking coffee when he sees a large object 73 00:05:25,576 --> 00:05:29,496 fly over him. 74 00:05:29,613 --> 00:05:32,699 His first instinct is also to pursue the UFO. 75 00:05:32,783 --> 00:05:35,502 [ siren wailing ] >> Panzanella radios dispatch 76 00:05:35,586 --> 00:05:38,338 to see if they have anything on their radar. 77 00:05:39,924 --> 00:05:41,875 They pick up an unidentified object 78 00:05:41,959 --> 00:05:43,560 on their screen. 79 00:05:44,929 --> 00:05:49,015 >> The officers aren't the only ones interested in this craft. 80 00:05:50,851 --> 00:05:53,436 >> Four fighter jets appear in the sky. 81 00:05:53,471 --> 00:05:55,939 The police receive confirmation on their radios 82 00:05:55,973 --> 00:05:59,025 that the jets are pursuing the UFO. 83 00:05:59,109 --> 00:06:02,612 [ sirens wailing ] >> The police officers 84 00:06:02,646 --> 00:06:05,365 must be thinking, wow, this is really happening. 85 00:06:05,449 --> 00:06:07,450 The Air Force is going to take down a UFO 86 00:06:07,485 --> 00:06:10,987 right in front of us. But the UFO then shoots upward 87 00:06:11,071 --> 00:06:14,874 into the sky at an incredible speed until it disappears, gone, 88 00:06:14,959 --> 00:06:17,327 before the jets can make a move. 89 00:06:25,135 --> 00:06:27,504 >> Within hours, this case was picked up by the press. 90 00:06:27,555 --> 00:06:30,974 And from there, the Air Force gave it a lot of attention. 91 00:06:31,058 --> 00:06:34,677 >> All of the police officers involved are then contacted 92 00:06:34,728 --> 00:06:38,314 by the military's UFO investigative unit, 93 00:06:38,349 --> 00:06:41,818 Project Blue Book. >> This is where 94 00:06:41,852 --> 00:06:44,654 the Air Force cover-up begins. Blue Book Chief, 95 00:06:44,688 --> 00:06:48,074 Major Hector Quintanilla, arrives on the scene. 96 00:06:48,158 --> 00:06:51,778 >> Hector Quintanilla headed Project Blue Book from 1963 97 00:06:51,862 --> 00:06:54,914 until its closure in 1970. In addition to his degree 98 00:06:54,999 --> 00:06:57,500 in physics, he was recruited to the position 99 00:06:57,535 --> 00:06:59,786 because they needed a man who was, quote, 100 00:06:59,870 --> 00:07:03,540 "cool under pressure." >> He gets to Dale Spaur 101 00:07:03,591 --> 00:07:06,793 and the first thing he says to him is, "Tell me about 102 00:07:06,877 --> 00:07:09,929 this mirage that you saw." >> Can you imagine, 103 00:07:10,014 --> 00:07:11,881 you're a police officer and you've just seen 104 00:07:11,932 --> 00:07:14,384 the most incredible thing and the first thing 105 00:07:14,468 --> 00:07:18,021 the Air Force does is accuse you of seeing a mirage. 106 00:07:18,055 --> 00:07:22,442 >> Could the officers have witnessed a top secret 107 00:07:22,526 --> 00:07:25,311 military plane, forcing the Air Force 108 00:07:25,396 --> 00:07:28,565 to try and deflect attention from the truth? 109 00:07:28,649 --> 00:07:32,068 >> Spaur describes exactly what he saw in great detail, 110 00:07:32,119 --> 00:07:35,405 but Quintanilla doesn't ask anymore questions, 111 00:07:35,456 --> 00:07:37,490 and he doesn't attempt to interview the other 112 00:07:37,575 --> 00:07:40,326 three officers who also saw the UFO. 113 00:07:42,079 --> 00:07:45,632 >> Major Quintanilla holds a press conference to release 114 00:07:45,716 --> 00:07:49,752 the Air Force's official findings on the incident. 115 00:07:49,837 --> 00:07:53,056 >> Quintanilla's explanation was simple, the officers 116 00:07:53,090 --> 00:07:56,009 had been chasing an echo communication satellite 117 00:07:56,093 --> 00:07:59,062 and then after the sun came up, that changed to them 118 00:07:59,096 --> 00:08:03,733 chasing the planet Venus. Quintanilla also denied 119 00:08:03,767 --> 00:08:06,486 that any jet fighters had been in the area attempting to engage 120 00:08:06,570 --> 00:08:10,823 or intercept a UFO. >> Unsatisfied with the official 121 00:08:10,908 --> 00:08:13,826 explanation, a number of investigators, 122 00:08:13,911 --> 00:08:17,413 including famed ufologist, William Weitzel, 123 00:08:17,448 --> 00:08:20,950 are determined to find out what really happened. 124 00:08:21,001 --> 00:08:24,287 >> William Weitzel got on the scene and found 125 00:08:24,371 --> 00:08:26,456 three other police officers and four other 126 00:08:26,507 --> 00:08:29,792 civilian witnesses who had seen a UFO between 127 00:08:29,843 --> 00:08:34,764 5:00 and 5:30 that morning. [ eeric music ] 128 00:08:36,634 --> 00:08:37,967 [ swooshing ] 129 00:08:39,803 --> 00:08:43,473 >> After Weitzel's findings, Quintanilla is forced 130 00:08:43,524 --> 00:08:47,644 to reopen the case. Realizing simple deflection 131 00:08:47,695 --> 00:08:51,898 was not effective, stronger tactics are employed. 132 00:08:51,982 --> 00:08:54,951 >> Quintanilla and Spaur sit down for another meeting, 133 00:08:54,985 --> 00:08:57,403 this time attended by William Weitzel 134 00:08:57,488 --> 00:09:00,740 and local reporters, but afterwards, Quintanilla 135 00:09:00,824 --> 00:09:02,709 stands by his original conclusion that 136 00:09:02,793 --> 00:09:04,994 the police officers were chasing Venus. 137 00:09:05,045 --> 00:09:09,499 He says, "There was never a UFO. Case closed." 138 00:09:09,566 --> 00:09:12,001 >> Project Blue Book head, Quintanilla, 139 00:09:12,069 --> 00:09:15,571 successfully closes the case. The police officers 140 00:09:15,639 --> 00:09:19,509 who witnessed the UFO find themselves discredited, 141 00:09:19,560 --> 00:09:23,346 left trying to understand what they did wrong. 142 00:09:23,430 --> 00:09:26,399 >> After this whole event was over, the officers involved 143 00:09:26,483 --> 00:09:29,936 really took it hard. Officer Houston quit the force 144 00:09:30,020 --> 00:09:32,488 and moved off to Seattle just to get away. 145 00:09:32,523 --> 00:09:37,577 Officer Neff became a recluse. And I think Dale Spaur 146 00:09:37,661 --> 00:09:39,746 had it the worst. He lost his job 147 00:09:39,830 --> 00:09:42,699 and his marriage, and for years 148 00:09:42,783 --> 00:09:45,752 was hounded by the press, everyone trying to debunk 149 00:09:45,836 --> 00:09:47,537 his case and make him look like he didn't know 150 00:09:47,588 --> 00:09:49,922 what he was doing. And this just made him crazy 151 00:09:50,007 --> 00:09:52,508 because he knew that what he saw was real. 152 00:09:52,543 --> 00:09:54,010 He knew it was legitimate. 153 00:09:55,412 --> 00:09:58,931 >> During this Cold War era, UFOs were treated 154 00:09:59,016 --> 00:10:00,850 primarily as a threat. 155 00:10:00,934 --> 00:10:05,304 These military people come in and intimidate the officers, 156 00:10:05,389 --> 00:10:08,958 discredit them for something that obviously the government 157 00:10:09,026 --> 00:10:14,397 knows is going on. >> Was Quintanilla simply 158 00:10:14,481 --> 00:10:17,316 employing the same techniques that began with 159 00:10:17,401 --> 00:10:20,403 Project Blue Book regarding deflection 160 00:10:20,487 --> 00:10:24,574 and discrediting witnesses? And when did these techniques 161 00:10:24,625 --> 00:10:25,908 come into play? 162 00:10:27,995 --> 00:10:31,547 Up next... >> Zamora starts to back away, 163 00:10:31,582 --> 00:10:34,500 a huge flame bursts out of the craft. 164 00:10:34,585 --> 00:10:38,755 [ thunderous explosion ] >> Military and media descend 165 00:10:38,806 --> 00:10:41,974 on a small town after one police officer's 166 00:10:42,059 --> 00:10:45,645 incredible close encounter when we return. 167 00:10:51,110 --> 00:10:53,911 >> If I had been working back in the fifties and sixties, 168 00:10:53,996 --> 00:10:56,998 I don't think I would've wanted to make a UFO report. 169 00:10:57,082 --> 00:10:59,884 Something like that could destroy your credibility. 170 00:10:59,918 --> 00:11:02,887 You just turn your head and look the other way. 171 00:11:02,921 --> 00:11:06,391 But, you know, that's stressful, and you have to carry that 172 00:11:06,425 --> 00:11:07,425 with you. 173 00:11:17,019 --> 00:11:21,356 >> Police officers are trained to be meticulous about details. 174 00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:24,108 But when it comes to UFO sightings, 175 00:11:24,159 --> 00:11:27,278 their reports are often challenged or the incident 176 00:11:27,363 --> 00:11:33,034 is dismissed as a hoax. Hangar 1 files suggest that 177 00:11:33,118 --> 00:11:36,888 this treatment lines up directly with how Project Blue Book 178 00:11:36,955 --> 00:11:40,925 and the military dealt with civilian UFO witnesses 179 00:11:40,959 --> 00:11:43,961 and that these protocols were applied 180 00:11:44,046 --> 00:11:46,547 to police officers as well. 181 00:11:55,023 --> 00:12:00,895 April 24th, 1964. Socorro, New Mexico. 182 00:12:00,979 --> 00:12:03,481 >> Officer Lonnie Zamora is driving in his car 183 00:12:03,565 --> 00:12:07,402 outside of Socorro, New Mexico. He's chasing a speeder. 184 00:12:09,655 --> 00:12:13,408 All of a sudden, Zamora hears this roaring sound, 185 00:12:13,492 --> 00:12:18,079 and he sees what he thinks is a flame object in the sky. 186 00:12:18,163 --> 00:12:20,465 [ intense roaring ] 187 00:12:21,667 --> 00:12:25,002 >> Zamora breaks off from the chase to investigate. 188 00:12:25,053 --> 00:12:27,171 He thinks that a local dynamite shack 189 00:12:27,222 --> 00:12:29,006 may have exploded. 190 00:12:32,094 --> 00:12:35,346 He's moving closer to where this event was taking place. 191 00:12:37,683 --> 00:12:40,401 It's then that he notices a shining object, 192 00:12:40,486 --> 00:12:42,937 which at first he thought was an overturned car. 193 00:12:47,075 --> 00:12:50,194 Zamora gets on the radio and tells the dispatcher 194 00:12:50,245 --> 00:12:52,580 he's leaving his car to check out a situation 195 00:12:52,664 --> 00:12:55,199 in the arroyo. [ birds warbling ] 196 00:12:55,250 --> 00:12:56,868 [ crickets chirping ] 197 00:12:58,170 --> 00:13:05,042 [ intense dramatic music ] Suddenly, a loud roar emanates 198 00:13:05,127 --> 00:13:08,546 from the craft. [ roaring ] 199 00:13:14,553 --> 00:13:17,555 >> A huge flame bursts out of the craft. 200 00:13:17,606 --> 00:13:19,891 [ thunderous explosion ] 201 00:13:21,059 --> 00:13:25,897 The craft begins lifting up and then immediately takes off. 202 00:13:26,031 --> 00:13:30,451 Zamora radios a fellow officer, Sergeant Chavez, asking him 203 00:13:30,536 --> 00:13:35,072 if he sees a craft in the sky. Radio silence. 204 00:13:38,911 --> 00:13:41,996 >> When Chavez finally got there, the two of them 205 00:13:42,080 --> 00:13:44,916 found four indentations in the ground 206 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:47,468 where the object had sat, some burnt vegetation, 207 00:13:47,553 --> 00:13:51,889 and they took very detailed notes and pictures 208 00:13:51,924 --> 00:13:54,008 of the whole area, and they put together 209 00:13:54,092 --> 00:13:55,927 a complete report. 210 00:13:57,646 --> 00:14:01,516 >> Two days after the incident, Major Quintanilla, the head 211 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:04,936 of the Air Force's Project Blue Book shows up 212 00:14:05,020 --> 00:14:09,106 to investigate the report, but he isn't the only one 213 00:14:09,191 --> 00:14:11,025 who descends on the town. 214 00:14:18,283 --> 00:14:20,334 >> The sleepy little town of Socorro, New Mexico 215 00:14:20,419 --> 00:14:22,036 was overrun. 216 00:14:22,120 --> 00:14:26,424 Overrun by major journalists, UPI, AP were there. 217 00:14:29,044 --> 00:14:31,512 Government agents, FBI, military intelligence 218 00:14:31,597 --> 00:14:33,881 were there, and private UFO investigators 219 00:14:33,966 --> 00:14:35,633 were also there. Everyone wanted 220 00:14:35,684 --> 00:14:39,136 to look for answers. >> The evidence gathered 221 00:14:39,221 --> 00:14:43,024 by the police appears to be compelling. 222 00:14:43,108 --> 00:14:46,394 >> Subsequent research and analysis of ground samples 223 00:14:46,478 --> 00:14:50,948 and photos revealed that some of the sand in the ground 224 00:14:50,983 --> 00:14:54,151 appeared to have been fused together as if 225 00:14:54,202 --> 00:14:57,371 it had come in contact with some very high, 226 00:14:57,456 --> 00:15:02,994 intense form of heat. [ thunderous explosion ] 227 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:10,384 >> Then, on June 8th, 1964, Quintanilla issues his formal 228 00:15:10,469 --> 00:15:14,839 Project Blue Book report. >> Not surprisingly, this report 229 00:15:14,923 --> 00:15:18,059 turned all the evidence right on its head. 230 00:15:18,143 --> 00:15:20,561 It stated no substantial evidence 231 00:15:20,646 --> 00:15:23,848 had been found to support any kind of event, 232 00:15:23,932 --> 00:15:26,934 none of the witnesses were reliable, and so on. 233 00:15:27,019 --> 00:15:31,072 Now, in the classified version of that report, it was a little 234 00:15:31,156 --> 00:15:33,524 bit of a different story. I have Hector Quintanilla's 235 00:15:33,575 --> 00:15:37,495 words right here and I quote, "There is no doubt 236 00:15:37,529 --> 00:15:41,282 that Lonnie Zamora saw an object that left an impression on him 237 00:15:41,366 --> 00:15:44,869 and scared Zamora to the point of panic." 238 00:15:44,953 --> 00:15:48,172 >> Zamora became so hounded by the Air Force and ufologists 239 00:15:48,206 --> 00:15:51,258 that he quit law enforcement, and he took a job managing 240 00:15:51,343 --> 00:15:52,426 a gas station. 241 00:15:55,130 --> 00:15:57,965 >> If I were in the shoes of these officers 242 00:15:58,050 --> 00:16:01,052 that saw these things and were then shut up 243 00:16:01,136 --> 00:16:05,556 and intimidated, I would absolutely lose faith in myself. 244 00:16:05,641 --> 00:16:09,360 This, I mean, this has to be a profound effect on their whole 245 00:16:09,444 --> 00:16:12,530 sense of who they are, the fact that the government would 246 00:16:12,564 --> 00:16:16,233 step in after these careers of service and treat them 247 00:16:16,318 --> 00:16:21,122 like crazy people when we know the government knows a heck 248 00:16:21,206 --> 00:16:23,290 of a lot more than than what they're telling us. 249 00:16:25,627 --> 00:16:29,213 >> Based on Quintanilla's report, the case was closed. 250 00:16:29,247 --> 00:16:32,583 But shortly thereafter, a UFO researcher 251 00:16:32,668 --> 00:16:37,254 named James McDonald locates a local scientist who claims 252 00:16:37,339 --> 00:16:42,843 to have analyzed a soil sample from the Socorro landing site. 253 00:16:42,928 --> 00:16:45,179 >> Mary G. Mayes was a doctoral student 254 00:16:45,263 --> 00:16:48,232 in radiation biology at the University of New Mexico 255 00:16:48,266 --> 00:16:53,070 and she was asked to analyze some of the soil samples 256 00:16:53,105 --> 00:16:55,940 from the Socorro case. So she didn't find 257 00:16:55,991 --> 00:16:58,909 any radiation in the soil, but she did find 258 00:16:58,944 --> 00:17:02,830 two organic substances that she was not able to identify. 259 00:17:02,948 --> 00:17:06,834 >> This is an important detail. It proved that whatever landed 260 00:17:06,952 --> 00:17:10,788 there had organic material that is not found on earth. 261 00:17:10,922 --> 00:17:13,457 [ engine winding up ] 262 00:17:14,926 --> 00:17:18,095 [ thunderous explosion ] >> The analysis 263 00:17:18,130 --> 00:17:21,799 on the soil samples really opens up the possibility, 264 00:17:21,883 --> 00:17:24,268 maybe the likelihood that we're talking about 265 00:17:24,302 --> 00:17:26,137 two different kinds of investigations, 266 00:17:26,221 --> 00:17:28,472 or two versions of the investigation, 267 00:17:28,523 --> 00:17:31,475 the public one and the not so public one. 268 00:17:31,526 --> 00:17:35,446 What it looks like to me is that Quintanilla and Blue Book 269 00:17:35,480 --> 00:17:39,316 were sent in basically to mess up the investigation 270 00:17:39,367 --> 00:17:43,320 and make Zamora look like a fool. 271 00:17:43,405 --> 00:17:46,490 >> Civilian police officers are not the only ones 272 00:17:46,541 --> 00:17:49,376 who meet resistance when it comes to reporting 273 00:17:49,461 --> 00:17:53,464 UFO incidents. Up next, military 274 00:17:53,548 --> 00:17:57,168 police officers find themselves in the wrong place 275 00:17:57,219 --> 00:18:00,421 at the wrong time and the outcome 276 00:18:00,505 --> 00:18:03,174 becomes deadly. [ gunshots ] 277 00:18:07,436 --> 00:18:10,571 >> Many agencies are not open to these types of investigations 278 00:18:10,606 --> 00:18:13,407 because the upper echelon don't want the media. 279 00:18:13,442 --> 00:18:15,826 They don't want to deal with it. 280 00:18:15,944 --> 00:18:18,362 That's the biggest problem with law enforcement, 281 00:18:18,447 --> 00:18:21,282 dealing with the upper hands. When it gets from 282 00:18:21,366 --> 00:18:23,584 local government up to the military, well, then, 283 00:18:23,619 --> 00:18:25,119 that's a little bit different. 284 00:18:26,288 --> 00:18:30,024 [ suspenseful music ] 285 00:18:30,759 --> 00:18:34,095 >> Hangar 1 files contain remarkable encounters 286 00:18:34,179 --> 00:18:38,065 of police officers and UFO sightings. 287 00:18:40,602 --> 00:18:44,906 Some of these incredible events occur with officers who provide 288 00:18:44,940 --> 00:18:47,858 security for military bases. 289 00:18:47,943 --> 00:18:52,246 >> In 1978, I was working at McGuire Air Force Base 290 00:18:52,281 --> 00:18:56,033 at 21st Air Force as the Deputy Director 291 00:18:56,118 --> 00:18:58,085 of Intelligence. 292 00:18:58,170 --> 00:19:03,791 On January 18th, 1978, I drove onto the base 293 00:19:03,875 --> 00:19:08,596 and noticed that off to my right was a number 294 00:19:08,630 --> 00:19:12,550 of crash trucks and lights out on the runway. 295 00:19:12,634 --> 00:19:15,219 And the sergeant in charge of the command post 296 00:19:15,304 --> 00:19:18,522 came up to me and said that an alien has been found 297 00:19:18,607 --> 00:19:21,525 at the end of the runway, that he was shot 298 00:19:21,610 --> 00:19:27,198 by a military policeman. [ dramatic music ] 299 00:19:27,282 --> 00:19:29,200 [ jet engine whining ] 300 00:19:30,652 --> 00:19:35,289 >> January 18th, 1978, between Fort Dix 301 00:19:35,324 --> 00:19:37,625 and McGuire Air Force Base. 302 00:19:37,743 --> 00:19:41,162 >> Radar from Fort Dix picks up an unidentified object 303 00:19:41,213 --> 00:19:45,633 between Fort Dix and McGuire Air Force Base. 304 00:19:45,667 --> 00:19:48,085 >> The military police officer on duty is patrolling 305 00:19:48,170 --> 00:19:51,172 the outside of the base when he sees a large object 306 00:19:51,256 --> 00:19:53,591 hovering over the road. 307 00:19:57,012 --> 00:20:01,015 He stops his car and radios in what he sees. 308 00:20:01,066 --> 00:20:02,984 >> He's looking out through his windshield through 309 00:20:03,068 --> 00:20:05,603 the falling snow and explaining to the dispatcher 310 00:20:05,687 --> 00:20:07,154 what the craft looks like. 311 00:20:09,358 --> 00:20:11,025 Right in the middle of a sentence... 312 00:20:11,109 --> 00:20:14,612 [ radio screeches ] the radio goes dead. 313 00:20:19,668 --> 00:20:22,586 >> The officer looks up and that's when he sees 314 00:20:22,671 --> 00:20:28,709 the unimaginable, a small figure in the shadows 315 00:20:28,760 --> 00:20:30,878 that he later describes as having an unusually 316 00:20:30,929 --> 00:20:34,048 large head, long arms, and a slender body. 317 00:20:34,099 --> 00:20:36,600 And this creature is standing right in front 318 00:20:36,685 --> 00:20:40,137 of his police car. The officer panics. 319 00:20:41,890 --> 00:20:43,107 [ gunshots ] 320 00:20:44,226 --> 00:20:47,561 [ gunshots ] 321 00:20:47,696 --> 00:20:51,982 >> Here's a man who is told to protect the base. 322 00:20:52,067 --> 00:20:57,204 He's an armed guard, and he's seen a monster 323 00:20:57,239 --> 00:20:59,290 run around. He does what probably 324 00:20:59,374 --> 00:21:02,827 a lot of guys would do, he shoots at the thing. 325 00:21:05,247 --> 00:21:07,081 >> He runs back to his car and his radio 326 00:21:07,132 --> 00:21:09,967 is now working again. He tells the dispatcher 327 00:21:10,052 --> 00:21:12,053 that he just shot a strange creature 328 00:21:12,087 --> 00:21:16,674 and it's now headed for McGuire Air Force Base. 329 00:21:16,758 --> 00:21:19,226 >> The police officer drives to the gates 330 00:21:19,261 --> 00:21:23,597 of McGuire Air Force Base where he is told to wait. 331 00:21:23,682 --> 00:21:25,933 >> Sergeant Jeffrey Morse from McGuire Air Force Base 332 00:21:26,017 --> 00:21:28,102 is called to the front gate to meet with the officer 333 00:21:28,186 --> 00:21:30,654 from Fort Dix to discuss the incident. 334 00:21:30,739 --> 00:21:33,657 The officer is really shaken up. He tells Morse that he shot 335 00:21:33,742 --> 00:21:36,277 at a strange entity, but it escaped and climbed 336 00:21:36,328 --> 00:21:40,998 over the fence into McGuire Air Force Base. 337 00:21:41,083 --> 00:21:44,752 Sergeant Morse says that he'll handle it from here. 338 00:21:47,672 --> 00:21:49,623 >> Sergeant Morse has to be thinking this other 339 00:21:49,674 --> 00:21:52,293 police officer is crazy, but he was about to get 340 00:21:52,377 --> 00:21:53,511 a big surprise. 341 00:21:55,864 --> 00:21:59,300 [ car door opens, closes ] [ footsteps on gravel ] 342 00:22:00,886 --> 00:22:03,637 >> Morse and several other MPs head to the area 343 00:22:03,722 --> 00:22:06,140 where the entity reportedly climbed over the fence. 344 00:22:08,059 --> 00:22:10,311 At the end of the runway they see a dead creature 345 00:22:10,362 --> 00:22:12,980 with a large head and slender body. 346 00:22:15,650 --> 00:22:18,068 >> Sergeant Morse can't believe his eyes. 347 00:22:18,153 --> 00:22:20,738 He reports that the smell is so bad they have 348 00:22:20,822 --> 00:22:23,741 to stand back several feet just to be able to breathe. 349 00:22:23,825 --> 00:22:26,827 [ men coughing, gagging ] He calls in a report 350 00:22:26,912 --> 00:22:29,330 and within hours the Air Force OSI 351 00:22:29,464 --> 00:22:31,665 takes control of the situation. 352 00:22:31,750 --> 00:22:35,002 >> AFOSI is the Air Force's Office of Special 353 00:22:35,137 --> 00:22:37,972 Investigations, and they report directly to the Office 354 00:22:38,006 --> 00:22:39,640 of Security to the Air Force. 355 00:22:39,724 --> 00:22:42,009 Technically, this means that they provide 356 00:22:42,060 --> 00:22:44,845 independent investigations outside the traditional 357 00:22:44,896 --> 00:22:46,230 military chain of command. 358 00:22:49,267 --> 00:22:51,852 >> Sergeant Morse reports that he is surprised to see 359 00:22:51,903 --> 00:22:54,688 a military team responding to the incident in a way that 360 00:22:54,739 --> 00:22:57,741 suggests this wasn't the first encounter like this they had 361 00:22:57,826 --> 00:23:00,578 dealt with. >> Sergeant Morse 362 00:23:00,662 --> 00:23:04,198 is not only brought in for questioning, but threatened. 363 00:23:04,282 --> 00:23:06,750 >> Morse went through several days of intimidating 364 00:23:06,835 --> 00:23:11,956 interrogations where he was told to keep his mouth shut or else. 365 00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:15,960 >> As incredible as this story sounds, it is corroborated 366 00:23:16,044 --> 00:23:20,764 by George Filer who was brought in to investigate the incident. 367 00:23:20,849 --> 00:23:23,350 >> When I was investigating the case, I did interview 368 00:23:23,385 --> 00:23:29,690 Sergeant Jeff Morse who claims to have been out at the place 369 00:23:29,724 --> 00:23:31,692 where they found the ET. 370 00:23:33,728 --> 00:23:37,064 Within a couple of days after he was out there, 371 00:23:37,148 --> 00:23:40,534 he was transferred to Okinawa. 372 00:23:41,987 --> 00:23:45,239 They more or less arrested him and held him for awhile 373 00:23:45,323 --> 00:23:47,491 and essentially gave him a hard time. 374 00:23:50,045 --> 00:23:53,831 >> When it comes to military officers who witness UFOs, 375 00:23:53,915 --> 00:23:58,219 did the protocol escalate from discrediting witnesses 376 00:23:58,253 --> 00:24:02,172 to completely removing them? >> Now, what happened 377 00:24:02,257 --> 00:24:04,642 to Jeffrey Morse in the aftermath of all of this 378 00:24:04,726 --> 00:24:08,062 is kind of symptomatic of how military personnel 379 00:24:08,146 --> 00:24:10,848 were held to different standards of accountability than, say, 380 00:24:10,932 --> 00:24:12,766 civilian police officers had been. 381 00:24:12,851 --> 00:24:14,602 It's one thing for a small town cop 382 00:24:14,653 --> 00:24:17,938 to be ridiculed, but when you're a military person and you start 383 00:24:17,989 --> 00:24:20,691 talking privately to investigators about this, 384 00:24:20,775 --> 00:24:24,278 they're going to come after you. [ dramatic music ] 385 00:24:24,329 --> 00:24:25,996 [ gunshots ] 386 00:24:32,337 --> 00:24:34,505 >> It's almost as if the military learned 387 00:24:34,589 --> 00:24:36,957 from previous reports that if you remove the witness, 388 00:24:37,042 --> 00:24:40,544 the media and investigators don't have any leads. 389 00:24:42,097 --> 00:24:45,849 >> If this was the military's new protocol, how far 390 00:24:45,934 --> 00:24:48,302 will they go to ensure the silence 391 00:24:48,353 --> 00:24:53,557 of highly credible witnesses? Up next, 392 00:24:53,642 --> 00:24:55,643 military police officers [ alarm bell ringing ] 393 00:24:55,727 --> 00:24:59,530 report a UFO landing on a nuclear base. 394 00:24:59,614 --> 00:25:01,031 [ intense music ] 395 00:25:15,481 --> 00:25:17,766 >> The Federal Government is going to give you exactly 396 00:25:17,817 --> 00:25:21,069 what they want you to hear. I don't think they're afraid 397 00:25:21,104 --> 00:25:23,438 of anything, they just want to control things. 398 00:25:23,523 --> 00:25:26,074 And as police officers, we're caught in the middle 399 00:25:26,109 --> 00:25:28,326 because the government does not want this information 400 00:25:28,411 --> 00:25:29,745 to get out. 401 00:25:35,251 --> 00:25:38,837 >> MUFON investigators have uncovered evidence indicating 402 00:25:38,921 --> 00:25:42,340 the military's desire to undermine and discredit 403 00:25:42,425 --> 00:25:47,629 law enforcement testimony regarding UFO encounters. 404 00:25:47,713 --> 00:25:51,767 However, despite the intention to keep these stories hidden, 405 00:25:51,801 --> 00:25:55,053 information is still often leaked. 406 00:26:03,696 --> 00:26:09,701 1980, Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico. 407 00:26:09,819 --> 00:26:12,954 >> Ten minutes before midnight on August 8th, 1980, 408 00:26:12,989 --> 00:26:14,823 three security policemen are on duty 409 00:26:14,907 --> 00:26:17,709 at the Manzano Weapons Storage Area just east 410 00:26:17,794 --> 00:26:21,163 of Kirtland Air Force Base. >> The Manzano Weapons 411 00:26:21,214 --> 00:26:24,132 Storage Area consisted of a series of tunnels 412 00:26:24,167 --> 00:26:27,803 that had been excavated into three mountains. 413 00:26:27,837 --> 00:26:30,005 In these tunnels is where the nuclear weapons 414 00:26:30,089 --> 00:26:32,007 would be stored. 415 00:26:34,177 --> 00:26:37,179 On this night, three guards at the base 416 00:26:37,263 --> 00:26:41,683 saw a very bright light about three miles northeast 417 00:26:41,734 --> 00:26:45,687 of their position. >> The men noticed this light 418 00:26:45,738 --> 00:26:48,190 traveling very fast before it suddenly 419 00:26:48,241 --> 00:26:50,358 stops over Coyote Canyon. 420 00:26:53,946 --> 00:26:55,864 >> Coyote Canyon was a restricted area 421 00:26:55,948 --> 00:26:58,750 and so all three officers became very nervous when 422 00:26:58,835 --> 00:27:02,170 they saw this lighted object begin to descend 423 00:27:02,205 --> 00:27:03,755 into the canyon. 424 00:27:06,342 --> 00:27:08,093 About three miles east of that position, 425 00:27:08,177 --> 00:27:10,262 there was another military police officer. 426 00:27:10,346 --> 00:27:13,098 He was on patrol, and he was told to check out 427 00:27:13,182 --> 00:27:15,100 the weapons barracks area. 428 00:27:18,221 --> 00:27:21,056 This officer drove down an access road to Coyote Canyon, 429 00:27:21,140 --> 00:27:25,193 and when he got there, he saw a very bright light in the air. 430 00:27:25,228 --> 00:27:28,230 And above it was a disc-shaped object. 431 00:27:30,867 --> 00:27:33,785 >> He starts to panic. He tries to radio for help, 432 00:27:33,870 --> 00:27:36,788 but his radio doesn't work. >> The officer grabbed 433 00:27:36,906 --> 00:27:39,708 his rifle, got out of his Jeep, and decided to pursue it. 434 00:27:39,742 --> 00:27:42,160 [ suspenseful music ] 435 00:27:45,331 --> 00:27:47,916 [ rifle shot ] [metal richochet ] 436 00:27:47,967 --> 00:27:51,136 He heard the sound of metal, and before he knew it, 437 00:27:51,220 --> 00:27:53,138 the ship just took off. 438 00:27:54,757 --> 00:27:58,059 >> The lone patrolman who fired at the object, reports 439 00:27:58,094 --> 00:28:02,347 the incident to Sandia Base security headquarters. 440 00:28:02,431 --> 00:28:06,768 >> The officer on duty reported the incident on August 9th, 441 00:28:06,819 --> 00:28:09,237 but Sandia Base didn't report it 442 00:28:09,272 --> 00:28:11,273 until August 11th, and they were 443 00:28:11,357 --> 00:28:13,608 supposed to report it to the Air Force Office 444 00:28:13,693 --> 00:28:17,946 of Special Investigations. Protocol dictated that 445 00:28:17,997 --> 00:28:21,032 anything like that had to be reported immediately, 446 00:28:21,117 --> 00:28:22,701 but it wasn't. 447 00:28:25,371 --> 00:28:27,672 >> But here's where things get more interesting. 448 00:28:27,757 --> 00:28:30,258 For some reason, the AFOSI office at Kirtland 449 00:28:30,293 --> 00:28:32,794 informs Sandia that the Air Force no longer 450 00:28:32,845 --> 00:28:36,047 investigates such sightings unless they specifically occur 451 00:28:36,132 --> 00:28:39,718 on a base. >> This doesn't make any sense 452 00:28:39,802 --> 00:28:42,354 because the incident did happen around 453 00:28:42,438 --> 00:28:45,190 a U.S. Air Force facility, and furthermore, 454 00:28:45,274 --> 00:28:50,312 near nuclear weapons, and yet AFOSI is not interested. 455 00:28:50,446 --> 00:28:54,316 >> The AFOSI's main directive is to provide investigative 456 00:28:54,367 --> 00:28:57,319 services to protect the national security of the U.S. 457 00:28:57,370 --> 00:28:59,821 So to claim that a UFO that lands near 458 00:28:59,872 --> 00:29:02,791 a nuclear weapons storage unit is out of their jurisdiction 459 00:29:02,825 --> 00:29:04,326 is ludicrous. 460 00:29:06,329 --> 00:29:09,965 >> On the night of August 11th, the UFO returns 461 00:29:09,999 --> 00:29:14,803 to the exact same location. >> At that point, the Air Force 462 00:29:14,837 --> 00:29:17,005 just couldn't deny it. 463 00:29:18,341 --> 00:29:22,227 >> On August 22nd, Major Edwards from Kirtland Air Force Base 464 00:29:22,311 --> 00:29:24,229 interviews every officer who was involved 465 00:29:24,313 --> 00:29:27,315 in these multiple sightings. Major Edwards informs 466 00:29:27,350 --> 00:29:29,317 an intelligence officer named Richard Doty 467 00:29:29,352 --> 00:29:32,187 of the persistent accounts of UFO sightings near their 468 00:29:32,271 --> 00:29:35,106 nuclear weapons storage site. >> Richard Doty 469 00:29:35,191 --> 00:29:38,109 is a controversial character in the whole history of UFOs. 470 00:29:38,194 --> 00:29:41,696 Doty was expert at leading people on a wild goose chase. 471 00:29:43,082 --> 00:29:46,368 >> It appears that once Officer Doty became involved, 472 00:29:46,452 --> 00:29:50,205 the case was doomed and eventually buried. 473 00:29:50,256 --> 00:29:52,757 >> This is an important case because you have multiple 474 00:29:52,842 --> 00:29:56,795 witnesses of a multiple sighting that took place 475 00:29:56,879 --> 00:29:59,264 over several days all claiming to see 476 00:29:59,348 --> 00:30:01,800 the same object near Coyote Canyon. 477 00:30:01,884 --> 00:30:05,186 So it appears there was a cover up. 478 00:30:05,271 --> 00:30:09,391 >> Once again, we see forces from above come in 479 00:30:09,475 --> 00:30:13,311 and take these credible men, these servants to our country, 480 00:30:13,396 --> 00:30:17,198 and make them feel like they've done something wrong 481 00:30:17,233 --> 00:30:20,702 when they were just doing their duty. 482 00:30:20,786 --> 00:30:22,954 >> If it was a cover up, who are they hiding 483 00:30:23,039 --> 00:30:25,657 the information from? The public was not involved 484 00:30:25,741 --> 00:30:27,959 in this, it was strictly military. 485 00:30:28,044 --> 00:30:30,412 Was the military hiding information 486 00:30:30,463 --> 00:30:31,746 from the military? 487 00:30:33,165 --> 00:30:36,167 >> Up next, these incidents aren't just confined 488 00:30:36,252 --> 00:30:39,137 to the ground. Two respected police 489 00:30:39,221 --> 00:30:43,758 helicopter pilots go head to head with a UFO. 490 00:30:43,843 --> 00:30:48,346 The unbelievable dog fight when "Hangar 1" returns. 491 00:30:54,006 --> 00:30:56,607 >> When you're involved in a UFO case, your credibility 492 00:30:56,641 --> 00:30:59,393 is in question. The first thing they're going 493 00:30:59,478 --> 00:31:02,563 to do is perform a psych test on you, then they're going 494 00:31:02,647 --> 00:31:04,982 to do a drug test on you. 495 00:31:05,067 --> 00:31:07,985 They want to intimidate you and a lot of police officers 496 00:31:08,036 --> 00:31:09,153 don't want to go through that. 497 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:26,637 Louisville, Kentucky, 1993. 498 00:31:26,722 --> 00:31:29,707 >> At 11:50 P.M., Officers Graham and Downs 499 00:31:29,775 --> 00:31:32,443 are in the middle of a routine patrol flight 500 00:31:32,511 --> 00:31:35,596 when they receive a call about a possible break in 501 00:31:35,680 --> 00:31:39,316 near Sanford Avenue and Buechel Bank Road. 502 00:31:41,686 --> 00:31:44,688 >> The officers fly over the area when suddenly Graham 503 00:31:44,773 --> 00:31:46,690 notices a small light below them. 504 00:31:49,861 --> 00:31:52,613 Downs points the helicopter spotlight on the object 505 00:31:52,697 --> 00:31:53,748 to get a better look. 506 00:31:57,702 --> 00:32:00,704 >> Downs and Graham see a glowing, pear-shaped object 507 00:32:00,839 --> 00:32:04,842 about the size of a basketball. >> Suddenly, the object 508 00:32:04,876 --> 00:32:08,546 shoots up, right in front of the helicopter 509 00:32:08,630 --> 00:32:10,915 and then spins counterclockwise around them 510 00:32:10,982 --> 00:32:14,435 until it stops right behind the two pilots. 511 00:32:16,521 --> 00:32:19,857 >> Graham has never seen anything like it. 512 00:32:19,891 --> 00:32:23,527 Now he's afraid the object is going to ram the tail rotor, 513 00:32:23,562 --> 00:32:26,730 so he pushes the helicopter forward at a 100 miles an hour. 514 00:32:30,118 --> 00:32:34,572 Incredibly, the UFO chases them and at one point 515 00:32:34,656 --> 00:32:35,739 even shoots past them. 516 00:32:39,578 --> 00:32:42,746 >> All of the sudden, the UFO appears to shoot three fireballs 517 00:32:42,798 --> 00:32:44,331 at the helicopter. 518 00:32:47,502 --> 00:32:49,503 Graham is able to bank his helicopter away 519 00:32:49,588 --> 00:32:50,638 from the blast. 520 00:32:52,924 --> 00:32:56,560 The pilots are panicking, but then the UFO just zips away. 521 00:33:04,769 --> 00:33:08,739 [ phone ringing ] >> The officers wake up 522 00:33:08,773 --> 00:33:11,408 their boss, Lieutenant David Pope, 523 00:33:11,443 --> 00:33:13,944 to give him their full report. >> Pope can't believe 524 00:33:14,029 --> 00:33:16,030 what he's hearing. He knows that 525 00:33:16,114 --> 00:33:19,700 his officers are credible. He stated in a report that 526 00:33:19,784 --> 00:33:23,420 Graham was a veteran pilot and that both he and Downs 527 00:33:23,455 --> 00:33:27,374 were military veterans with many years of service. 528 00:33:27,459 --> 00:33:30,594 >> So, look at the facts here. These are police officers 529 00:33:30,629 --> 00:33:33,013 who work in the air. They work in the sky 530 00:33:33,098 --> 00:33:34,431 every single day. 531 00:33:34,516 --> 00:33:37,268 Well, of course they know the difference between a star, 532 00:33:37,302 --> 00:33:41,388 a planet, and some bell-shaped thing flying around 533 00:33:41,473 --> 00:33:42,773 their helicopter. 534 00:33:47,445 --> 00:33:50,981 >> Lieutenant Pope submits his report to superiors, 535 00:33:51,032 --> 00:33:53,784 but it goes unnoticed. 536 00:33:53,869 --> 00:33:56,620 >> Downs and Graham can't believe the report isn't being 537 00:33:56,655 --> 00:33:59,707 taken seriously. And then if that isn't enough, 538 00:33:59,791 --> 00:34:00,875 fellow colleagues warn them 539 00:34:00,992 --> 00:34:03,994 to just let it go because it was starting to make the department 540 00:34:04,045 --> 00:34:07,665 look bad. It makes you wonder 541 00:34:07,716 --> 00:34:09,967 if these police officers were hung out to dry 542 00:34:10,001 --> 00:34:12,336 with nowhere for them to go and no one to provide 543 00:34:12,420 --> 00:34:16,390 any answers. >> Is the military 544 00:34:16,474 --> 00:34:20,728 now intentionally ignoring UFO reports by police officers 545 00:34:20,812 --> 00:34:24,765 in order to protect law enforcement authority 546 00:34:24,849 --> 00:34:29,486 or to protect themselves by avoiding a paper trail? 547 00:34:29,521 --> 00:34:31,488 >> It's almost a relief when I hear that 548 00:34:31,523 --> 00:34:34,525 there is some official involved, someone who is trained 549 00:34:34,609 --> 00:34:38,279 to observe because the credibility of these things 550 00:34:38,363 --> 00:34:40,247 is so often challenged. 551 00:34:43,034 --> 00:34:46,787 One thing that I want to see in my lifetime is some answer 552 00:34:46,871 --> 00:34:49,540 for these experiences that I've had. 553 00:34:49,624 --> 00:34:52,876 I want to see some kind of government recognition. 554 00:34:52,961 --> 00:34:54,929 If they would just, you know, come out and say, yes, 555 00:34:55,013 --> 00:34:56,797 it is real, this is actually happening. 556 00:34:56,881 --> 00:34:59,767 [ suspenseful music ] 557 00:35:02,554 --> 00:35:04,471 [ thunderous explosion ] 558 00:35:06,891 --> 00:35:10,277 >> With the majority of UFO sightings at night, it makes 559 00:35:10,395 --> 00:35:13,897 sense that the officers working these late shifts would be 560 00:35:13,982 --> 00:35:17,618 the most likely witnesses of such phenomena. 561 00:35:17,702 --> 00:35:21,322 [ helicopter blades whirring ] [ sirens wailing ] 562 00:35:21,406 --> 00:35:24,908 Coming up, another predawn UFO chase leaves 563 00:35:24,993 --> 00:35:30,881 the police with nowhere to turn until MUFON uncovers the files. 564 00:35:43,395 --> 00:35:47,231 >> When government policy states that UFOs do not exist, 565 00:35:47,316 --> 00:35:50,735 what happens when their local law enforcement agents see 566 00:35:50,786 --> 00:35:55,957 and report UFO sightings? Over the years, it appears 567 00:35:56,041 --> 00:36:00,328 policy has changed from deflection to disaccreditation 568 00:36:00,412 --> 00:36:04,499 to disregarding entirely, leaving police officers 569 00:36:04,583 --> 00:36:07,668 with nowhere to turn when it comes to reporting 570 00:36:07,753 --> 00:36:08,719 these incidents. 571 00:36:17,095 --> 00:36:21,399 January 5th, 2000 near Scott Air Force Base, 572 00:36:21,433 --> 00:36:23,267 Illinois. 573 00:36:25,320 --> 00:36:27,438 >> Melvin Knoll, a local Highland, Illinois 574 00:36:27,523 --> 00:36:30,525 truck driver pulls into his company office at 4:00 A.M. 575 00:36:32,444 --> 00:36:34,745 [ motor shutting down ] 576 00:36:39,985 --> 00:36:42,787 He looks up and notices this really bright light 577 00:36:42,821 --> 00:36:45,490 in the sky that's moving towards him, 578 00:36:45,541 --> 00:36:48,409 and he realizes that the light is actually coming from a huge 579 00:36:48,494 --> 00:36:53,381 triangle-looking craft. >> A recording from the county 580 00:36:53,465 --> 00:36:57,251 radio dispatcher documents the driver's report 581 00:36:57,336 --> 00:36:59,470 to the Highland Police Department. 582 00:36:59,555 --> 00:37:01,639 >> We received a call from the Highland PD 583 00:37:01,673 --> 00:37:03,558 in reference to a truck driver who just stopped in 584 00:37:03,642 --> 00:37:05,726 and said there was a flying object. 585 00:37:08,347 --> 00:37:11,516 >> Officer Ed Barton responds to the call at 4:10 A.M. 586 00:37:11,567 --> 00:37:13,985 He asks the county dispatcher if she's joking. 587 00:37:14,019 --> 00:37:16,771 The dispatcher says, "No, the man who stopped in 588 00:37:16,855 --> 00:37:20,358 was totally serious." >> Just a quick question. 589 00:37:20,409 --> 00:37:22,527 If I happen to find it, what am I supposed 590 00:37:22,578 --> 00:37:23,694 to do with it? 591 00:37:23,779 --> 00:37:27,532 >> As soon as Officer Barton turns onto Route 4... 592 00:37:31,420 --> 00:37:34,672 there's a bright light coming from a large triangle. 593 00:37:38,594 --> 00:37:40,344 He pulls over to the side of the road, 594 00:37:40,379 --> 00:37:42,847 kills the car lights, and turns off his radio 595 00:37:42,881 --> 00:37:45,550 to see if this thing is making any noise. 596 00:37:49,054 --> 00:37:52,473 >> The object makes no sound, but he can see every detail 597 00:37:52,558 --> 00:37:54,892 on this craft because it's moving right above him 598 00:37:54,943 --> 00:37:57,812 at a steady speed. As soon as it passes, 599 00:37:57,896 --> 00:38:01,399 he radios the sighting into central command. 600 00:38:01,483 --> 00:38:03,901 He predicts that the object should be hitting the town 601 00:38:03,952 --> 00:38:06,988 of Shiloh, Illinois at any moment. 602 00:38:07,072 --> 00:38:10,241 >> In Shiloh, Officer David Martin soon radios in 603 00:38:10,375 --> 00:38:12,326 that he sees the craft as well. 604 00:38:12,411 --> 00:38:14,829 >> What does it look like to you? 605 00:38:14,913 --> 00:38:16,964 >> It's kind of V-shaped. 606 00:38:18,417 --> 00:38:19,667 [ police radio chatter ] 607 00:38:21,837 --> 00:38:24,488 >> Several minutes later, at 4:29 A.M., 608 00:38:24,556 --> 00:38:27,008 Officer Craig Stevens, who is in the nearby town 609 00:38:27,092 --> 00:38:29,977 of Milstadt radios in that he also sees 610 00:38:30,062 --> 00:38:34,065 a triangular UFO passing over his patrol car. 611 00:38:34,099 --> 00:38:38,436 And then at 4:35 A.M., another officer in Dupo, 612 00:38:38,487 --> 00:38:41,272 Illinois reports that he can also see the craft, 613 00:38:41,356 --> 00:38:43,941 but at this point, it's climbing altitude fast 614 00:38:43,992 --> 00:38:47,745 and he's losing track of the light. 615 00:38:47,829 --> 00:38:49,780 >> If you would, contact Scott Air Force Base 616 00:38:49,831 --> 00:38:53,367 and see if they have anything flying in this area. 617 00:38:53,452 --> 00:38:55,419 >> The dispatcher calls Scott Air Force Base, 618 00:38:55,454 --> 00:38:57,538 who report that they have not detected 619 00:38:57,623 --> 00:38:59,840 any unidentified object on their radar. 620 00:38:59,925 --> 00:39:03,461 But here you have no less than four different officers 621 00:39:03,512 --> 00:39:07,381 all witnessing the same craft, yet Scott Air Force Base claims 622 00:39:07,466 --> 00:39:11,018 they've got nothing. It just doesn't add up. 623 00:39:13,972 --> 00:39:18,109 >> This was a huge case. You have four police witnesses, 624 00:39:18,143 --> 00:39:21,812 media interest, and yet the military claims that 625 00:39:21,897 --> 00:39:24,065 they have no knowledge about anything that happened 626 00:39:24,149 --> 00:39:25,449 in the vicinity. 627 00:39:25,534 --> 00:39:28,903 I find it impossible to believe Scott Air Force Base 628 00:39:28,987 --> 00:39:31,956 is not going to be able to detect a 75-foot 629 00:39:31,990 --> 00:39:34,825 triangular craft in its vicinity, 630 00:39:34,910 --> 00:39:38,462 and yet this is exactly what they claim. 631 00:39:38,497 --> 00:39:41,298 >> Does the government and military now turn 632 00:39:41,333 --> 00:39:45,419 a blind eye when it comes to these kinds of sightings? 633 00:39:45,504 --> 00:39:47,388 >> The government knows what's going on. 634 00:39:47,472 --> 00:39:50,057 They don't talk about it. They won't report it. 635 00:39:50,142 --> 00:39:52,510 Any singular event that has happened 636 00:39:52,644 --> 00:39:55,980 with pilots reporting and the police department 637 00:39:56,014 --> 00:39:58,399 on the ground reporting this, and then the story 638 00:39:58,483 --> 00:40:01,318 dies the next day. You don't know if there's 639 00:40:01,353 --> 00:40:03,404 an investigation going on internally. 640 00:40:03,488 --> 00:40:05,523 We know that there is, but the government doesn't 641 00:40:05,607 --> 00:40:06,941 talk about it, any government. 642 00:40:08,260 --> 00:40:11,195 >> As a son of a cop and having grown up around cops 643 00:40:11,263 --> 00:40:14,081 my whole life and knowing the kinds of witnesses 644 00:40:14,166 --> 00:40:16,634 that they are, I find it offensive 645 00:40:16,668 --> 00:40:19,503 when you start seeing all of the ridicule that so many 646 00:40:19,588 --> 00:40:23,007 of them have been facing. Once a police officer 647 00:40:23,091 --> 00:40:27,228 has seen a UFO, they very adamantly 648 00:40:27,312 --> 00:40:30,314 will defend what they saw against all odds. 649 00:40:32,684 --> 00:40:35,686 >> Many of these police cases go unreported because of a fear 650 00:40:35,821 --> 00:40:39,023 of ridicule, but some brave officers do come to us 651 00:40:39,107 --> 00:40:41,192 to report their story. 652 00:40:41,326 --> 00:40:43,744 They recognize that these are important cases 653 00:40:43,829 --> 00:40:45,696 that shouldn't be swept under the rug. 654 00:40:45,747 --> 00:40:47,698 And they'd also like some answers to what 655 00:40:47,783 --> 00:40:50,668 they've witnessed. We have now become the place 656 00:40:50,702 --> 00:40:55,372 for police officers to come to to report UFO encounters. 657 00:40:55,507 --> 00:40:58,259 >> When you have this kind of experience seeing a UFO 658 00:40:58,343 --> 00:41:01,128 or something as unexplainable, and you try to report it, 659 00:41:01,213 --> 00:41:03,180 they'll tell you, we don't investigate 660 00:41:03,215 --> 00:41:05,549 this kind of phenomena. If you want answers, 661 00:41:05,600 --> 00:41:08,052 you have to go to someone outside of the system because 662 00:41:08,103 --> 00:41:10,438 chances are it's not going to be investigated through 663 00:41:10,522 --> 00:41:11,555 law enforcement channels. 664 00:41:14,609 --> 00:41:18,479 >> Police encounters with UFOs are some of the most detailed 665 00:41:18,563 --> 00:41:22,066 witness reports on record and yet they are 666 00:41:22,117 --> 00:41:26,036 continually disregarded by higher authorities. 667 00:41:26,071 --> 00:41:28,739 Despite the government distancing themselves 668 00:41:28,824 --> 00:41:33,077 from these UFO accounts, MUFON remains a source 669 00:41:33,161 --> 00:41:36,630 that our law enforcement, both civilian and military, 670 00:41:36,715 --> 00:41:39,667 can turn to and be taken seriously. 671 00:41:39,751 --> 00:41:44,171 As these officers continue to spend so much time 672 00:41:44,256 --> 00:41:46,590 on the front lines of our streets 673 00:41:46,641 --> 00:41:49,760 and military bases, the unusual sightings 674 00:41:49,845 --> 00:41:55,432 they document will be revealed in the files of "Hangar 1."