Original Documentation

## Summary

In the early morning hours of January 5, 2000, multiple police officers across several southwestern Illinois communities observed and attempted to track a massive triangular craft moving slowly at low altitude. Beginning with a civilian witness in Highland, Illinois, the sighting quickly became a multi-jurisdictional police matter as officers from Lebanon, Shiloh, Dupo, and Millstadt tracked the object. The craft, described as "the size of a football field" with bright lights at each corner, moved silently at speeds varying from stationary hovering to sudden acceleration. Police radio recordings, officer sketches, and consistent testimonies make this one of the best-documented police UFO encounters in history.

## The Initial Sighting

### Melvin Noll's Encounter

Around 4:00 AM:
- Melvin Noll, miniature golf course owner
- Returning from truck delivery
- Spotted bright light in northeast
- Thought it was bright star
- Light began moving toward him

### First Close Observation

Noll described:
- Object descended to treetop level
- "Like a two-story house"
- Multiple bright lights
- Elongated shape
- Completely silent
- Slowly moving southwest

### Reporting to Police

At 4:10 AM:
- Noll drove to Highland PD
- Reported to dispatcher
- Initially met with skepticism
- Insisted officer investigate
- Dispatcher contacted St. Clair County

## The Police Response

### Officer Ed Barton

Lebanon Police Department:
- First officer to respond
- Initially skeptical
- Dispatched at 4:23 AM
- Thought witness "had a few"
- Changed mind upon sighting

### Barton's Observation

At approximately 4:28 AM:
- Spotted two bright lights
- Thought it was aircraft
- Lights suddenly converged
- Massive triangular shape revealed
- "Floating building" description

The officer reported:
- Object completely silent
- Moving very slowly
- Altitude 1,000-1,500 feet
- Headed toward Shiloh
- Radioed other departments

## Multi-Agency Tracking

### Officer David Martin

Shiloh Police Department:
- Heard Barton's radio call
- Positioned to intercept
- Waited in parking lot
- Object approached position
- Best observation of event

### Martin's Detailed Sighting

The Shiloh officer observed:
- Massive arrowhead shape
- "Size of football field"
- Three bright white lights
- Smaller red lights
- Completely silent
- Moving 15-20 mph

Most dramatically:
- Object suddenly accelerated
- Traveled 8 miles instantly
- No sound of acceleration
- Impossible by known physics

### Officer Craig Stevens

Millstadt Police Department:
- Alerted by radio traffic
- Positioned on Liederkranz Road
- Observed triangular object
- Confirmed other reports
- Made detailed sketch

### Officer Matt Jany

Dupo Police Department:
- Southernmost observation
- Object heading toward St. Louis
- Confirmed triangular shape
- Lost sight near Dupo

## Physical Characteristics

### Size Estimates

Officers consistently reported:
- "Football field sized"
- 75-300 feet per side
- Massive compared to aircraft
- Blocked out stars
- Dominated sky when close

### Lighting Configuration

Common descriptions:
- Bright white light each corner
- Red/orange lights on bottom
- Some reported strobing
- Intensity varied
- Could dim or brighten

### Structure Details

Officers noted:
- Dark surface between lights
- Appeared solid
- Some metallic reflection
- Geometric precision
- No visible engines

## Flight Characteristics

### Speed Variations

The object demonstrated:
- Hovering capability
- Slow 15-20 mph cruise
- Instant acceleration
- Covered miles in seconds
- Returned to slow speed

### Altitude Changes

Witnesses observed:
- Low altitude approach
- Rose to higher altitude
- Descended again
- Maintained level flight
- No sound at any altitude

### Maneuverability

Officers reported:
- Smooth directional changes
- No banking in turns
- Could stop instantly
- Reverse direction
- Defied physics

## Radio Communications

### Recorded Transmissions

Dispatch recordings captured:
- Real-time officer reports
- Inter-agency coordination
- Excitement in voices
- Professional conduct
- Detailed descriptions

### Key Exchanges

Notable radio traffic:
- "Be advised there's a very bright light"
- "It's huge... triangular shape"
- "This thing's moving toward Shiloh"
- "I've got it in sight now"
- "It just shot away"

## Scott Air Force Base

### Proximity Question

The object's path:
- Passed near Scott AFB
- Major military installation
- Home to important commands
- Air traffic control center
- Radar capabilities

### Military Response

Scott AFB claimed:
- No radar contact
- No unusual activity
- No aircraft scrambled
- Nothing on their screens
- Standard denial

### Suspicions

Officers wondered:
- How radar missed it
- Why no intercept
- Secret military craft?
- Cover-up in progress?
- Questions unanswered

## Officer Sketches

### Professional Documentation

Several officers drew:
- Detailed sketches
- Consistent shapes
- Light positions
- Size comparisons
- Flight paths

### Sketch Consistency

Drawings showed:
- Triangular/arrowhead shape
- Three main lights
- Additional smaller lights
- Proper proportions
- Matching descriptions

## Witness Credibility

### Professional Observers

The officers:
- Trained observers
- Credible professionals
- No prior UFO interest
- Risked ridicule
- Nothing to gain

### Consistent Testimonies

Despite separate locations:
- Descriptions matched
- Timing correlated
- Path reconstructed
- Details aligned
- No coordination possible

## Investigation

### National Coverage

The case attracted:
- Local media immediately
- National news coverage
- Documentary teams
- UFO researchers
- Scientific interest

### NIDS Investigation

National Institute for Discovery Science:
- Interviewed all officers
- Analyzed radio recordings
- Reconstructed flight path
- No conventional explanation
- Published detailed report

## Attempted Explanations

### Blimp Theory

Some suggested advertising blimp:
- Wrong shape
- Too fast
- Silent operation
- Acceleration impossible
- No blimps in area

### Military Aircraft

Classified craft proposed:
- Stealth technology
- Secret test flight
- Black project

Problems:
- Performance too advanced
- Populated area overflight
- Low altitude risky
- No admission ever

### Mass Misidentification

Skeptics claimed:
- Misidentified aircraft
- Optical illusions
- Planet/star confusion

Contradicted by:
- Multiple trained observers
- Close range sightings
- Consistent descriptions
- Radio documentation

## Physical Effects

### Electronic Interference

Some officers reported:
- Radio static
- Spotlight malfunction
- Engine roughness
- Electrical anomalies
- Equipment issues

### Physiological Effects

Witnesses experienced:
- Hair standing up
- Tingling sensations
- Adrenaline surge
- Lasting amazement
- No harmful effects

## Similar Cases

### Pattern Recognition

Illinois case similar to:
- Belgian wave (1989-90)
- Phoenix Lights (1997)
- Hudson Valley (1980s)
- Triangular craft theme

### Police UFO Encounters

Comparable incidents:
- Exeter, NH (1965)
- Portage County, OH (1966)
- Multiple officer witnesses
- Professional documentation

## Media Coverage

### Immediate Response

Local coverage included:
- TV news teams
- Newspaper reports
- Officer interviews
- Sketch reproductions
- Serious treatment

### Documentary Features

Multiple productions:
- UFO Files
- Discovery Channel
- National Geographic
- Independent films
- Ongoing interest

## Impact on Officers

### Career Effects

The witnesses:
- Faced some ridicule
- Maintained professionalism
- Stood by accounts
- Continued careers
- Became UFO case celebrities

### Personal Changes

Officers reported:
- Worldview shifts
- Increased sky watching
- Interest in phenomenon
- Certainty of experience
- Life-changing event

## Scientific Analysis

### Flight Path Reconstruction

Researchers mapped:
- Precise route
- Speed calculations
- Altitude estimates
- Timing correlation
- Impossible accelerations

### Technology Implications

Object demonstrated:
- Gravity defiance
- Inertia negation
- Silent propulsion
- Instant acceleration
- Unknown physics

## Legacy

### Law Enforcement UFOs

Case influenced:
- Police reporting protocols
- Officer willingness to report
- Department policies
- Training acknowledgments
- Stigma reduction

### Research Standards

Established benchmarks:
- Multiple witness importance
- Radio documentation value
- Sketch correlation
- Path reconstruction
- Time synchronization

## Modern Relevance

### Pentagon UAP Reports

Recent admissions validate:
- Unknown objects exist
- Military encounters common
- Technology beyond conventional
- Police sightings credible

### Ongoing Mystery

Despite investigation:
- No explanation found
- Object origin unknown
- Technology unidentified
- Questions remain
- Truth hidden

## Significance

Illinois case important because:
- Multiple police witnesses
- Radio documentation
- Consistent descriptions
- Professional sketches
- Flight path tracked
- Technology demonstrated
- Credibility unquestioned

## Conclusions

The Illinois police UFO chase proves:
- Trained observers see unknowns
- Documentation captures reality
- Consistency validates experiences
- Technology exceeds known
- Mystery continues
- Disclosure needed

Whether the craft was:
- Secret military project
- Extraterrestrial vehicle
- Interdimensional visitor
- Unknown phenomenon

The Illinois case stands as one of the best-documented police encounters with an unknown craft in UFO history. The combination of multiple trained observers, radio recordings, detailed sketches, and consistent testimonies creates an ironclad case that something extraordinary operated in Illinois airspace that January morning. The professionalism of the officers involved and their willingness to report what they saw, despite potential ridicule, provides a model for how such encounters should be handled and demonstrates that the UFO phenomenon deserves serious investigation by law enforcement and government agencies.