2,000+ UFO Reports in Minnesota, Including An Attack On Deputy

Do you believe in the existence of aliens and UFOs? Around 65% of Americans do, according to the Pew Research Center. In Minnesota, the National UFO Reporting Center has recorded more than 2,000 UFO sightings since 1932 with the most recent incident reported last November.

Some of the reports contain very little detail, but others provide much more information. The most widely known sighting in Minnesota happened near the North Dakota border, where a deputy's vehicle was reportedly attacked. Read what happened and learn about other sightings across the state below.

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UFO Sightings in Minnesota

The latest sighting in Minnesota occurred in Woodbury on November 29th, 2023, where a witness observed an 'orange ball/orb' in motion before vanishing. Read about additional sightings in Minnesota from last year at the bottom of this story.

Minnesota's most publicized sighting happened in the northwestern corner of the state right along the North Dakota border. That's where Marshall County Deputy Val Johnson's vehicle was allegedly attacked by a UFO. The law enforcement officer was knocked out and suffered bad injuries.

Minnesota Deputy Attacked by UFO

A Wikipedia page dedicated to the incident explains:

While patrolling near Warren, Minnesota, around 2 AM on August 27, 1979, Johnson reported an unusual incident. He claimed to have witnessed a beam of light just above the road, which rapidly approached him.

According to Johnson, his squad car was engulfed in light, accompanied by the sound of breaking glass. Johnson recounted being unconscious for 39 minutes, and upon regaining consciousness, he discovered his wristwatch and the vehicle's clock had stopped for 14 minutes. The windshield was shattered, a headlight and red emergency light were damaged, and a thin radio aerial was bent.

Deputies responding to Johnson's call for help found the squad car sideways on the road. Johnson suffered bruises and eye irritation described by a physician as similar to "welder's burns."

The incident gained national attention, but what exactly happened is still not known. WCCO looked back at Johnson's story in 2015 and his supervisor at the time of the sighting, now-retired Sheriff Dennis Brekke, said he still has no explanation. 

KARE 11 obtained the radio call Johnson made to dispatch when he awoke:

Dispatch Operator: “407 What is your condition?”

Deputy Johnson: “I don't know. Something just hit my car.”

Dispatch: “What's your condition? Are you OK?”

Johnson: “Something attacked my car. I heard the glass breaking and the locks … the brakes locked up. I don't know what's going on?”

You can find out about sightings in your area by checking the National UFO Reporting Center's website.