YOU HAVE UNTIL MIDNIGHT, ABOUT
AN HOUR AND-A-HALF TO GO.
GO ONLINE TO WCCO
.COM/ACCOMPLISHMN.
EVERY NOW AND THEN, SOMEONE
CALLS 9-1-1 ABOUT MYSTERIOUS
OBJECTS IN THE SKY.
MOST CAN BE EXPLAINED AWAY
AS ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS OR
AIRCRAFT, OR SOMETIMES TOO MUCH
WHISKEY, IF YOU KNOW WHAT I'M
SAYING.
BUT THIS DAY, A MINNESOTA UFO
SIGHTING FROM THE '70s IS
CONSIDERED MORE CREDIBLE THAN
MOST, IN PART BECAUSE OF WHO
CALLED IT IN FROM THE ROAD.
TONIGHT, WE GET A CLOSE
ENCOUNTER WITH A SQUAD CAR THAT
IS STILL CLOAKED IN MYSTERY AS
WE GO FINDING MINNESOTA.
IT'S ONE THING FOR A PLACE TO
STAND OUT FOR ITS EXTRA
KINDNESS OR EXTRA COMFORT.
IN MARSHALL COUNTY, IT'S THE
PROSPECT OF AN EXTRA
TERRESTRIAL THAT'S DRAWN
WORLDWIDE ATTENTION.
IT WAS A BRIGHT OBJECT, A
FOOT DIAMETER, ABOUT 3.5 FEET
OFF THE GROUND.
IT WAS ALONG A RURAL HIGHWAY
ON AUGUST 27, 1979, IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.
MARSHALL COUNTY DEPUTY VAL
JOHNSON WAS ALONE ON PATROL.
AS HE EXPLAINED IT TO THE
NEWS REPORTS, WHAT WAS THERE,
THE LIGHT JUST SHOT AT HIM AND
ENGULFED HIS CAR IN LIGHT AND
BLINDED HIM.
36 YEARS LATER, THE DEPUTY'S
SQUAD CAR IS STILL WHAT BRINGS
MOST PEOPLE IN TO THE MARSHALL
COUNTY MUSEUM.
AND, OF COURSE, THE
WINDSHIELD IS BROKEN.
YOU CAN SEE WHERE IT HIT.
HERB MOORESTEAD WAS A FELLOW
DEPUTY AT THE TIME.
AT A LOSS, THE ANTENNAS WERE
TURNED DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
WHATEVER HAPPENED, THERE'S
EVIDENCE.
THE DASHBOARD CLOCK STOPPED
14 MINUTES AS DID HIS WATCH
BEFORE STARTING UP AGAIN.
YOU CAN SEE IT WASN'T VAL
JOHNSON'S HEAD, FOR EXAMPLE,
THAT HIT THERE,  BECAUSE IT'S IN
THE WRONG PLACE.
TOO LOW.
WAY TOO LOW.
.
IT'S AN UNIDENTIFIED FLYING
OBJECT.
IT JUST HASN'T BEEN EXPLAINED
SO IT'S UNIDENTIFIED.
HE WAS TREATED FOR WELDER-
TYPE BURNS TO HIS EYES.
THIS DIDN'T SEEM TO BE ANY
AIRPLANE.
IT WAS WAY FASTER THAN
SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
HIS SUPERVISOR WAS SHERIFF
DENNIS BRECKY.
WE BELIEVE THAT OUR DEPUTY
HAD AN ENCOUNTER WITH SOMETHING
THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO
EXPLAIN YET ON THIS DATE, AND
THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST
BECAUSE OF THAT.
THE INTERNET HAS BROUGHT
ABOUT A NEW INTEREST OVER THE
PAST SEVERAL YEARS.
CONSPIRACY THEORISTS ARE STILL
TRYING TO SOLVE WHAT LAW
ENFORCEMENT, MECHANICAL
INSPECTORS AND WHAT THE CENTER
FOR UFO STUDIES COULD NOT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.
I KNOW I DID THE BEST JOB I
COULD WITH MY DEPARTMENT TO
INVESTIGATE AND FIND OUT WHAT
WENT ON, AND WE DON'T KNOW FROM
WHAT WE FOUND OUT.
DO YOU BELIEVE IN UFOS?
YEAH, I DO.
THERE'S GOT TO BE SOMETHING
MORE THAN US AROUND.
NOW, AS FOR DEPUTY VAL
JOHNSON, HE IS NOW RETIRED AND
LIVING IN WESTERN WISCONSIN.
I REACHED HIM BY PHONE, AND HE
SAID THERE'S ALREADY SO MUCH
INFORMATION OUT THERE, HE
REALLY PREFERS NOT TO TALK
ABOUT THIS ANYMORE.
THE MUSEUM, HOUSING THE SQUAD
CAR IS IN THE TOWN OF WARREN,
MINNESOTA.
IT'S CLOSED FOR THE SEASON, BUT
THEY'LL LET PEOPLE IN BY
APPOINTMENT.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO
WCCO.COM/LINKS.
CREEPY.
