Date:
February 27, 1993
Location: Jefferson County, Kentucky, United States
Two
Jefferson County air unit police officers described
by their lieutenant as "solid guys" swear
they had a two-minute dogfight with a UFO during a routine
helicopter patrol Friday night. Two officers on the ground
said they, too, spotted the object. The UFO a glowing
pear-shaped object about the size of a basketball
literally flew circles around the helicopter, even though
the fliers say they were moving at speeds approaching
100 mph.
Drawing by Louisville Courier-Journal staff artist Wes
Kendall, showing the UFO encounter.
Officer Kenny Downs (far right) was with pilot Kenny Graham
(seated with him)
when they saw the UFO. (credit: Louisville Courier-Journal)
Source:
Gardiner Harris, Louisville Courier-Journal (Louisville,
KY), Mar. 4, 1993
UFO
puts on show
Jefferson police officers describe close encounter
By
GARDINER HARRIS Staff Writer
Two
Jefferson County air unit police officers described
by their lieutenant as "solid guys" swear
they had a two-minute dogfight with a UFO during a routine
helicopter patrol Friday night.
Two
officers on the ground said they, too, spotted the object.
The UFO a glowing pear-shaped object about the
size of a basketball literally flew circles around
the helicopter, even though the fliers say they were moving
at speeds approaching 100 mph.
In
one blinding moment when both craft were hurtling toward
each other, the UFO shot three baseball-size fireballs
out of its middle, all three officers said. The fireballs
fizzled into nothing. Officers Kenny Graham and Kenny
Downs haven't talked much about their Friday night flight
over General Electric Appliance Park because they fear
few will believe them. But they are convinced they weren't
hallucinating.
"We
both go to church every week," Downs said as
a way of explaining how normal the two normally are. "In
fact, I might start going to church twice a week."
Officer Mike Smith, in his squad car below, said he saw
the object for only about a minute. But he confirmed the
UFO shot three fireballs into the air and then disappeared.
Officer Joe Smolenski said he tried for more than a minute
to catch up to the object in his squad car. "I've
been looking for 'em for 14 years, and I guess this is
the closest I've come to something I couldn't explain."
Lt.
David Pope, who was roused out of bed at 12:30 Saturday
morning by a call from the startled officers, attested
to their sanity and sincerity.
"These
guys are totally solid guys," Pope said. "There's
no doubt in my mind there was something out there."
The
night started out like every other night. Graham and Downs
got to work around 6 p.m. and were soon in the air flying
a routine patrol. Graham, 39 and an 11-year veteran, was
the pilot. Downs, 39 and a five-year veteran, was the
spotter.
While
in the air, they received a call about a possible break-in
near Sanford Avenue and Buechel Bank Road. They flew off
and quickly reached the area, which is near the northeast
comer of Appliance Park, around 11:50 p.m.
As
they circled, Graham saw something that looked like a
small fire off to his left. Dozens of bonfires had been
lit around the county that night by revelers delighting
in the new snowfall.
But
Graham soon decided i! wasn't a fire. Downs shined his
1.3-million-candlepower spotlight on the object, which
began to drift back and forth like a balloon as the light
washed over it. Then it gradually floated up to the helicopter's
elevation about 500 feet above the ground, where it hovered
for a few seconds.
"Then
it took off at a speed I've never seen before,"
said Graham: an experienced pilot.
The
object made two huge counter-clockwise loops and finally
approached the helicopter's rear.
Graham,
afraid-the object would ram his tail rotor, pushed his
speec above 100 mph. The UFO shot past them and instantly
climbed hundreds of feet in the air. It descended again
and flew close to the helicopter. Graham tried to close
the gap with the object, and it again flew away. As the
UFO approached on a parallel course, the three fireballs
burst out of its core.
Scared,
Graham banked away from the object.
"When
we came back around, it was gone," Graham said.
When
the two returned to their base, Graham called the control
tower at Standiford Field to ask if their radar had spotted
anything unusual. It had not.
Downs
called the county's radio dispatchers to ask if anyone
else had reported sightings. No one had.
But
the two did get confirmation from two officers on the
ground, one of whom was Smith.
"I
have no idea what it was," Smith said, but his
confirmation cheered the two fliers.
"It
makes me feel better," Downs said, "that
there are... grown men out there who are sworn to protect
this community and who saw the same thing."
Source:
http://www.ufoevidence.org/cases/case764.htm