When Venus Turned Out To Be A UFO

You’re a deputy Sheriff in Portage, Ohio, sitting in the car watching for traffic while the electrical workers are fixing some downed lines caused by an accident. It’s the early morning hours. Next to you is your partner you chat back and forth while keeping your eyes open. The flares are out and your flashers are on. The guys on the pole wave to you, your window is down. It’s a nice, warm, clear April evening in 1966.

“Hey, is it possible you could go down to Circles and get us some coffee? We know you guys love donuts.”

You look at your partner and wave at Jack the wire guy with a special finger. You shout back “Sure,” as you laugh.

Circle Restaurant is only a couple of miles away. Maybe you can grab a donut. “Typical,” you laugh to yourself.

You partner agrees, knowing going for coffee will at least break the monotony.

But soon, you’ll be wishing God would only let you get that monotony back.


Soon the world… the life …the relationships… the careers of these police officers would change forever and the government was the cause. One honest man found the evidence…


It was just a rather beat up car pulled over to the side of the road but it looked like it belonged to some ham radio nut --antennas were sticking out over the rear of the car. Inside, you notice all of the radio equipment…As you pass it there seems to be an official insignia on the door. You look at your partner as you slow down “I think we should have a look… maybe someone in trouble.” Your partner agrees and you turn around. You pull up behind the car and approach from the driver’s side while your partner stays back on the other side to the rear.

You look at the door --there is an insignia all right-- an “oblong diamond with lighting bolts going through it.” You don’t remember any type of official car with those markings. No one is in the car as you look behind to make sure no one is approaching…and that’s when you see it: a bright object moves up above the trees; it is large, maybe 50 feet across and it’s unlike anything you have ever seen. It hovers for a minute and seems to start moving away.

“What the hell is that?” your partner shouts.

“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out” you reply, jumping into the car to give chase. Eighty-six miles and two states later you watch as it flies away. Later you hear how other debuties witnessed jets scrambled to chase the intruders. [Though this would later be denied vehemently by the Air Force.]

The above case is very well known; it was highlighted in “Close Encounters Of the Fourth Kind”, the scene where the cops speed through the turnstile; a dramatization.

Project Blue Book’s conclusion on this very real case: “The Planet Venus.”

Debunkers point to this case over and over again to emphasize that even police officers can be fooled by the Planet Venus. To be honest, the planet Venus was in that part of the sky and sometimes Venus can appear to change colors and appear very big.

This policeman lost a great deal that evening. As far as the Air Force chasing the object with jets? Debunkers claim no jets were scrambled and are quick to suggest any other story is just conspiracy theorists who believe a scrambled jet must mean a UFO chase is on.

To go running after the planet Venus for 83 miles they became the stuff of jokes.

Well, Project Bluebook was wrong; they were not given the whole story. Neither were the UFO researchers.

How can I say that? Well, it is simple, it is true. A Deputy Sheriff At the Portage, Ohio County Sheriff’s Office in 1985 asked to clear out the basement found the original files from the case. Checking again with his superior, the Deputy was told to throw it out with the other stuff.

But the Deputy kept it. In 2006 he e-mailed MUFON. He was asked by James Carrion if he would present the evidence at the 2007 International Symposium.

The person who did this does not believe in “space visitors” which is fine with me, because he is a man of principle and has no agenda other than the truth.

That man’s name is Michael M. Nelson. A hero. Why? Because the government helped ruin the lives of these two police officers, for telling the truth, and that is not what our country is supposed to be about.

The New Evidence He Uncovered:
Police Officers Involved In UFO Chase: Deputies Dale Spaur & William Neff.

1. Memo from Sheriff Dustman To Detective Smith, Dated April 18 1966. Instructing the Detective that the Sheriff’s investigation was to be kept strictly confidential, it was not to be disclosed, to either the Air Force or NICAP that an independent investigation was being conducted.

2. Letter from Congressman Gerald R. Ford indicating he was aware of the case and interested in learning more.

3. Tapes of Other Witness testimony to Police: Betty Raymond, waitress who was with Chuck The Cook at the Circle Restaurant:…I was taking a break out front when I noticed a very bright light in the sky coming from the west…it got closer and looked like one of those blimps. Only going very fast…no sound. (object passed west to east in a matter of minutes too fast for any planet) “I yelled for Chuck the cook to come out…by now it was pretty close…getting scared…I crouch down behind my new car and tried to see what it was doing…Chuck said he could see a police car coming and they must be chasing the light…it made our skin fell very hot like static electricity…Chuck jumped behind the car yelling his skin and eyes were burning. A few moments after it passed, a police car around the Circle going very fast…Chuck’s eyes and nose seemed red like sunburn…later that morning I found my ignition cap and wires were all burnt…the Air Force guys came by took names and addresses, they got here fast even before you, they had a beat up car (same insignia)… We decided to tell them we only saw some strange lights…wore dark suits warned us not to speak…dire consequences…told Chuck not to go to the hospital for the burns…they would heal in time…shouldn’t tell about the car…Very intimidating.
4. Physical Trace Evidence & Partial Lab Reports:(Thanks To Michael M. Nelson)…A reported circular area of burnt grass… Detective Smith used a civil defense survey meter to check for radiation…high readings…highest inside the circle…seam of coal on the suffice which runs for 300 feet …samples taken..the contact coal at 100 feet away, nothing; but at 16 feet away from the circle, coals were exposed to heat in excess of 2678 F. This sample indicatea a volatilization effect.

5. Interview with Lt. Colonel from Youngstown Airbase who confirms 2 USAF F-102 jets were scrambled to intercept and identify the object being chased by the deputies. Later in Air Force report and NICAP reports this is completely discounted.


MJ12 Documents "exposed" as disinformation by Brad Sparks MUFON Member. My Position is: MJ12 Docs were put out there to divert attention away from Roswell investigators till all the witnesses past on and it could be sanitized:



Both men were contacted by Michael Nelson. Both men had moved and gone into hiding. Dale Spaur lived in a Cleveland suburb for a after his divorce –he drove a taxi for a while. When Michael found him he reluctantly agreed to a interview. Officer Dale Spaur was dying in a hospice in Hospice in Iowa.

“….It took off, rose to 100ft, moved from south to north over the road then back over it. It blocked out most of the sky and Venus behind it…I lost my job, my friends, my reputation… just by telling the truth.”

Officer Dale Spur died in 2006.

Michael M. Nelson book will be include intire interviews from the officers, the Lab reports, and what was found at the Ford library and much much more. I am looking forward to it.

Note: The above article: “IN Pursuit Of Truth: The 1966 Portage, Ohio UFO Chase”
November 2007 #475

Joseph Capp
UFO Media Matters
Non-Commercial Blog