Portage County Chase — Ohio Police Pursue UAP 85 Miles 1966

In the early hours of April 17, 1966, Portage County Deputy Sheriff Dale Spaur and Mounted Deputy Wilbur Neff encountered a large metallic disc-shaped object at approximately 5am near Ravenna, Ohio. The craft was approximately half a football field in diameter, hovering at treetop height and brilliant with light. When Spaur and Neff exited their vehicle, the craft moved east. They gave chase in their cruiser, pursuing the object at speeds exceeding 100 mph across 85 miles of Ohio and into Pennsylvania. Multiple other officers joined the pursuit at different points, providing independent corroboration of the object along the route. The pursuit ended when the object ascended rapidly. Project Blue Book sent Dr. J. Allen Hynek to investigate. In private, Hynek told the officers their account was compelling and real. Officially, Blue Book classified the case as 'Venus' — a classification Hynek himself later publicly criticized as absurd. The case received national media attention. The impact on Spaur was severe: he was ridiculed and his career in law enforcement effectively ended. He separated from his wife, took odd jobs, and spent years attempting to be believed. The Portage County chase became a template case in discussions of official treatment of credible law enforcement UAP witnesses and the psychological consequences of reporting encounters.